;f'„ '■•  '^'.'" 


^■x 


PRINCETON.    N.    J. 


Part  of  the 

t      ADDISON    ALEXANDER    LIBRABT,     "> 

which  \faa  presented  by 

Messrs.  R.  L.  and  A.  Stuabt. 

Case.    Division.... J..... i::i,|; 
Sh<'f/\  Section. .XV::,.( '74.1 


I 


/ioo/,\  [io^ 


SCCL 


O  0^^ 


-.  /r  *- 


IHE 


GOSPEL  PLAN, 


A  SYSTEMATICAL  TREATISE 


The  Leading  Doctrines  of  Salvation. 


INTENDED 


rO  ENCOURAGE  SINNERS  TO  BEUEVE  IN  CHRIST,  AND  TO  DIRECJ 

BELIEVERS  HOW  TO  OBTAIN  THE  COMFORTS  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

AND  TO  MAKE  PROGRESS  IN  A  LIFE  OF  RELIGION. 


'*  For  the  scripture  saith,  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  n<^' 

be  ashamed."    Rom.  x.  11. 
"  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory."    Col.  i.  27. 


BY  WILLIAM  C.  DAVIS 


"  Perscrutare  scripturas,  ct  veritatem  invenieg.'" 


PRINTED  FOR  HOPKINS  AND  EARLB,  PHILADELPHIA; 

AND  FARRAND,  MALLORY  AND  CO.  BOSTON 

Fry  and  Kammerer,  Printers 

1809. 


District  of  Pennsylvania,  to  v.it: 

*  ****#*       BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the  fourteenth  day 

*  SEAL.!!^  of  January,  in  the  thirty-third  year  of  the  independence 

*  *   of  the  United  States  of  America,  A.  D.  1809,  Hopkins  and 

Earle,  of  the  said  district,  have  deposited  in  this  office  the 
title  of  a  hook  the  right  whereof  they  claim  &s  proprietors,  in  the  words 
following,  to  wit: 

"The  Gospel  Plan,  or  a  syfctematical  Treatise  on  the  leading  Doc- 
trines of  Salvation.  Intended  to  encourage  sinners  to  believe  in  Christ, 
»nd  to  direct  believers  liow  to  obtain  the  comforts  of  the  gospel,  and 
to  make  progress  in  a  life  of  religion.  *  For  the  scripture  saith,  whoso- 
ever believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  ashamed.'  Rom.  x.  11.  'Christ  in 
you,  the  hope  of  glory.'  Col.  i.  27.  By  William  C.  Davis.  '  Perscrutare 
scripturas,  et  veritatem  invenies." 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  inti- 
tuled "  An  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the  co- 
pies of  maps,  charts,  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such 
copies  daring  tlie  times  therein  mentioned."  And  also  to  the  act,  en- 
titled "An  act  supplementary  to  an  act  entitled  'An  act  for  the  encou- 
ragement of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts,  and 
books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  time 
therein  mentioned,'  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of 
designing,  engraving  and  etching  historical  and  other  prints." 

D.  CALDWELL-, 
Clerk  of  the  District  of  Peunsjdvaiiia. 


PREFACE. 

I  HAVE  been  frequently  solicited  to  publish  my  views 
of  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation;  and  have  for  several  years 
withstood  those  solicitations.  Ministers  of  the  gospel 
with  whom  1  was  acquainted,  as  well  as  very  many  other 
men  of  pious  character,  who  were  acquainted  with  my 
manner  of  preaching,  have  urged  me  to  comply  with 
this  request.  I  still  declined,  for  reasons  which,  perhaps, 
ought  yet  to  keep  me  back.  1  urged,  as  my  excuse  for 
not  printing,  what  I  thought  were  good  reasons,  viz.  I 
was  too  young  to  become  an  author;  my  head  was  not 
gray;  and  what  was  the  worst  of  all,  I  was  afraid  that, 
although  I  could  preach,  and  I  hoped  to  some  advan- 
tage, yet  my  want  of  popularity,  and  the  want  of  judg- 
ment in  the  important  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  rendered 
it  improper  to  commit  my  thoughts  to  the  press;  at  least, 
until  I  would  arrive  to  riper  years.  I  thought  the  world 
had  very  good  books  to  read  already;  and  I  was  sure  it 
had  nonsense  enough,  and  an  over  stock  of  books  which 
are  little  here,  or  there,  and  no  profit,  except  the  price 
to  the  author  and  printer. 

But  since  I  left  my  beloved  people  hi  Olney,  North 
Carolina,  the  solicitations  of  some  of  my  sincere  friends 
there,  who  by  my  removal  were  deprived  of  the  oppor 
tunity  of  my  ministrations,  became  more  urgent.  Also, 
I  now  being  in  my  forty -fifth  year,  my  temples  are  begin- 
ning to  be  pitted  with  gray  hairs;  although,  alas,  I  have 
to  lament  that  my  improvement  is  not  equal  to  my  years; 
and  I  enjoying  a  good  state  of  health,  and  mv  rircnni- 

b 


IV 

stances  not  to  be  complained  of,  I  am  prevailed  upon  td 
write. 

God  knows  the  fate  of  my  book.  I  cannot  pretend  to 
recommend  it.  Every  person  who  will  read  it,  and  knows 
m'  ,  will  know  it  to  be  my  own,  let  it  be  good  or  bad.  It 
is  really  a  serious  matter  to  write.  When  1  preach  a  ser- 
mon, however  important  it  is  to  preach,  yet  it  is  breath; 
the  sound  strikes  upon  the  ear,  ar.d  mostly  dies  away; 
but  writing  is  ink  and  paper,  and  to  stand,  to  do  good  or 
harm,  perhaps  for  ages.  I  have,  indeed,  given  the  vvorld 
my  ingenuous  views  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  But 
whether  God  will  accompany  my  labours  with  his 
blessing  or  not,  or  in  what  degree,  I  cannot  tell.  But 
three  things  comfort  me.  1.  I  have  the  unspeakable  hap- 
piness to  know  that  my  labours  in  the  gospel  have  been 
greatly  blessed.  Hundreds  have  witnessed  the  power  of 
God  accompanying  the  simple  truths  of  the  gospel,  even 
delivered  by  a  weak  instrument.  He  who  was  pleased  to 
make  numbers  cry  for  mercy,  and  enable  them  to  fly  to 
Christ  for  mercy,  and  to  rejoice  in  Christ  having  obtaii^.ed 
mercy  through  my  preaching,  can  also  accompany  the 
labours  of  my  pen  as  well  as  that  of  my  lips,  to  the  direc- 
tion and  comfort  of  God's  people,  and  the  conversion  of 
sinners.  2. 1  know  I  have  written  many  most  interesting 
truths  that  I  have  often  preached  with  power  and  success. 
I  am  far  from  asserting  that  all  I  have  said  is  perfectly 
correct;  yet  this  I  must  say,  that  there  are  hundreds  this 
day  rejoicing  in  God,  M'ho  have  no  other  grounds  for 
their  salvation  than  some  of  the  precious  doctrines  which 
this  book  has  derived  from  the  bible.  3.  If  I  have  said  or 
done  anv  thing  wrong,  it  has  been  not  with  design  to  do 
Wrong,  but  because  I  thought  it  right,  let  me  have  been 
ever  so  much  mistaken;  and  1  would  rather  hope  for  the 
best,  even  in  the  midst  of  imperfections,  than  despair  of 
God's  mercy  and  his  blessing.  If  he  should  mark  our 
faults,  who  could  stand''^ 


'  1  particularly  mention,  that  the  repeated  solicitations  of 
the  members  of  the  church  of  Ouiey  are  among  the  spe- 
.  cial  reasons  for  my  publishing  this  book.  I  love  them,  and 
ever  will;  for  they  are  m}-  joy  and  my  crown.  1  therefore 
earnestly  request  that  they  receive  this  book  as  particu- 
larly dedicated  to  them  by  their  former  pastor  out  of  a  real 
regud  for  their  eternal  interest.  And  1  cannot  but  flatter 
m\st  If  that  they  will  always  feel  happy  in  reading,  at  least, 
some  of  those  precious  truths  from  under  my  own  hand, 
which  I  have  so  often  delivered  to  them  from  the  pulpit; 
and  which  God  has  blessed  to  the  salvation  of  so  many 
of  their  souls. 

I  also  desire  that  the  people  of  Bullock's  Creek  church, 
who  have  lately  invited  me,  so  unanimously,  to  be  their 
stated  pastor,  and  whose  pastor  I  now  am,  when  they  read 
this  book,  may  feel  it  as  an  earnest  pledge  of  my  best 
wishes  for  their  souls'  salvation.  And  while  they  have  the 
opportunity  of  hearing  me  from  sabbath  to  sabbath,  they 
may  also  have  me  preaching  to  them  at  home  as  well  as 
in  the  pulpit;  and  so  by  every  means  they  may  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  only  way  of  salvation  through  a  crucifi- 
ed Saviour. 

I  can  by  no  means  omit  to  mention  the  church  of  Na- 
zareth. I  remember  them  yet.  There  I  spent  the  four  first 
years  of  my  ministr}-,  and  was  the  first  stated  pastor  they 
ever  had.  It  is  true  I  was  young  and  a  mere  tyro  in  divi- 
nity; yet  I  hope,  at  least  towards  the  close  of  my  continu- 
ance there,  I  taught  some  of  the  simple  doctrines  of  the 
cross  of  Christ.  I  desire  these  people,  who  still  are  dear 
to  me  as  the  first  fruits  of  my  labours,  to  consider  this 
book  when  they  read  it,  as  subscribed  b}  the  hand  of  a 
faithful  friend,  wHo  wishes  them  eternal  happiness;  and 
who,  although  absent,  can  tell  them  the  things  that  belong 
to  their  everlasting  peace,  and  who,  perhaps,  may  speak 
to  them  in  this  book  when  he  is  dead. 

May  I  not  hope  that  the  judicious  part  of  the  world 


VI 


will  look  over  my  imperfections^  for  doubtles,  they  wili 
discover  many-  Surely  a  man  who  feels  his  own  imper- 
fections (for  there  is  no  one  without  some)  will  excuse, 
or  at  least  be  indulgent,  while  he  notes  the  imperfections 
of  others.  Doubtless  I  will  need  much  indulgence.  But 
I  hope  the  obscurity  of  my  character  (I  being  but  little 
known,  except  in  the  little  circle  of  my  acquaintance  at 
home)  will  greatly  screen  me  from  danger. 

I  have  something  of  a  satirical  turn;  my  reader,  I  hope, 
will  excuse  me  if  he  finds  more  of  it  than  he  would  wish. 
I  always  feel  it  less  or  more  my  duty  to  guard  against  it; 
but  I  find  it  much  more  difficult  to  keep  it  out  of  my  book 
than  out  of  the  pulpit.  I  have  also  used  my  own  natural 
style;  which  is  very  plain,  and  sometimes,  perhaps,  too 
rustic.  I  found  I  could  do  little  or  nothing  unless  I  stept 
and  kept  in  my  own  shoes.  I  am  a  friend  to  improve- 
ment; but  there  is  not  much  made  by  attempting  to  be 
what  we  are  not. 

My  reader,  perhaps,  will  find  some  things  new;  if  so, 
I  hope  he  will  not  condemn  me  before  he  is  pretty  sure 
I  am  wrong.  Upon  the  whole  I  commit  my  book  to  God 
and  the  public,  most  cordially  praying  that  it  may  be  to 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  real  benefit  of  my  readers. 
Amen. 

WM.  C.  DAVIS. 

June  11,  1806. 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  I. 

The  gospel  supposes  that  we  are  sinners  and  teaches  us  the  na- 
ture of  our  sinful  state. 

CHAP.  I.  Man's  sinful  state,  -        -         .         .  Page  1 

II.  Idem.              8 

HI.  Observations  on  particular  texts  which  doctrinally 

teach  us  our  lost  state,           -         -         -         -  12 
IV.  The  necessity  of  the  divine  Spirit  effectually  to  con- 
vince us  of  our  lost  state,         -        -         -         -  1 6 
V.  Improvement,          .--,..  20 

BOOK  II. 

The  eternal  counsel  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  lost  sinners;  or 
the  doctrine  of  election  explained  and  vindicated. 

CHAP.  I.  The  gospel  plan  from  eternity,         -         -         -  25 

II.  Election  defined,  reprobation  considered,  and  some 

objections  answered,  -         _         -         .  31 

III.  Election  proven  from  particular  doctrines  of  the 

gospel,         -- 33 

IV.  Positive  proofs  of  election,             -          -         -  42 
V.  The  beautiful  chain  and  orderof  election.  Foreknow- 
ledge,             48 

VI.  Predestination,  -----  55 

VII.  Effectual  calling,  justification,  and  glorification,  59 

VIII.  Several  texts  considered,  the  substance  of  which 

plainly  teach  the  doctrine  of  election,  -  65 

IX,  Some  other  instances  from  texts  proving  the  doc- 
trine of  election,  -----  73 
X.  Paul's  opinion  examined  into,  as  a  forcible  argu- 
ment for  the  doctrine  of  election,         -           -         81 

XI.  Idem. 87 

Xll.  The  five  scriptural  arguments  collected  togetlicr; 


Vlll 

the  conclusion  drawn  establishing  the  doctrine  of 
election,  -  -  -  -  9Z 

XIII.  Various  objections  answered.  Reprobation  defined,     99 

XIV.  Idem,  -  -  -  -  -  107 
XV.  The  benefit  of  the  gospel's  being  preached  to  the  v.on- 

elect.  They  are  thereby  rendered  inexcusable,  US 

XVI.  Idem,  .  -  .  .  -  117 

XVII.  Idem,  -  -  -  -  -  124 

XVIII.  Idem,  .  ....  130 

XIX.  Moral  inability  inexcusable  in  its  nature,  -  134 

XX.  Improvement,  -  -  -  -  140 

XXI.  Idem,  ..  ...  147 

XXII.  Idem,  -  -  -  -  -  154 

BOOK  III. 

The  nature  of  the  different  laws  of  God,  the  covenant  of  works, 
and  the  covenant  of  redemption. 

€HAP.  I.  The  nature  of  the  moral  laws  of  God,            -  162 

II.  Idem, !68 

III.  The  nature  of  the  positive  laws  of  God,           -  173 

IV.  The  covenant  of  works,           -         -         -         -  176 
V.  Idem.             -----  184 

VI.  Idem, 191 

VII.  Adam's  fall, 196 

VIII.  God's  justice  vindicated  in  man's  universal  guilt 

and  depravity, 205 

IX.  Idem,  - 211 

X.  Idem, 219 

XI.  Adam  expelled  out  of  paradise,  -         -  228 

XII.  The  covenant  of  redemption;  the  persons  stipula- 
ting, the  articles,  and  the  name  of  it,  -         233 

XIII.  The  condition  of  the  covenant  of  redemption,  or  the 

righteousness  of  Christ,  .         .         _  239 

XIV.  Idem, 248 

XV.  Christ's  passive  obedience  the  fulfilment  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  covenant  of  redemption,  -  257 

XVI.  Christ's  passive  obedience  the  meritorious  cause  of 

our  justification, 265 

XVII.  The  mor.il  propriety  of  the  covenant  of  redemption,  276 
XVIII.  Improvement,         ...-.-         380 


IX 

BOOK  IV. 

The  covenant  of  grace  considered  and  explained. 

CHAP.  I.  The   general  plan  and  nature  of  the  covenant  of 

grace,  -  .  -  .  .         290 

II.  Jesus  Christ  the  first  party  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  293 

III.  Believers  the  second  party  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  299 

I\'.  The  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  -  313 

V.  The  nature  of  fliith,  or  the  condition  of  the  covenant 

of  grace,  -  -  -    '  -  318 

VI.  How  God  gives  faith;  or  the  prerecfuisitesof  faith,by 

some  called  the  first  act  of  faith,  -  3.30 

VII.  The  offers  of  the  gospel,  and  the  effect  they  have 

oji  the  convinced  sinner,  -  -  335 

\'III.  What  views  the  sinner  must  have  of  Christ  and  sal- 
vation in  order  to  believe,  -  -  343 
IX    Faith  before  regeneration  and  sanctification,  35'2 
X.  Whether  faith  be  a  holy  act  or  not,                -  358 
XI.  The  process  of  the  gospel  with  a  sinner  according 
to  the  plan  I  have  explained.    Some  objections 
answered,             .             -             .             .             366 
XII.  The  use  of  the  means  of  grace,             -             -         377 

XIII.  Whether  true   fuiih   can  consist  ■with  doubts  and 

fears,  also  the  various  circumstances  attending 
believers  in  their  exercises  of  faith  in  Christ,        385 

XIV.  Idem,  -  ....  394 
XV.  Improvement,           .             -             .             .  400 

BOOK  V. 

The  nature  of  the  salvation  proposed  in  the  gospel,  or  covenant 
of  grace,  proposed  and  promised  to  believers;  or  the  conse- 
quences of  an  interest  in  Christ  by  faith. 

C^HAP.  I.  Justification,  -  -  -  -  415 

II.  Adoption,  .  .  -  .  .         425 

III.  The  intercession  of  Christ,  -  -  429 

IV.  The  covenant  grounds  of  a  believei's  sanctification 

and  glory,  -  -  -  -  441 

V.  Some  texts  explained,  and  some  common  phrases 

in  divinity  relating  to  our  sanctification,         -        45'' 

VI.  The  dreadful  effects  of  guilt,  and  the  blessed  effects 

of  atonement  or  righteousness,  -  -         462 

VII.  Some  interesting  passages  of  scripture  explamed 

on  the  above  principles,       -         -         -         -         466 


V'^III.  Regeneration, 472 

IX.  Sanctification:    particularly   some   reasons  offered 

why  it  is  imperfect  in  this  life,  -         -  476 

X.  The  nature  and  progress  of  sanctification,         -        488 

XI.  Holiness:  its  nature,  8cc.  -         -         .         .         494 

XII.  Repentance:  the  place  it  holds  in  religion.    Some 

mistaken  notions  of  it.   The  true  sense  of  the 

word  in  several  passages  of  scripture,  -  500 

XIII.  The  nature  of  true  evangelical  repentance,         -      510 

XIV.  Evidences  of  religion;  or  the  signs  of  a  gracious 

state.  Some  mistakes  in  this  matter  noticed,         5 1 6 

XV.  Idem, 527 

XVI.  How  and  when  a  person  may  be  certain  of  an  interest 

in  Christ, 536 

XVII.  Idem, 552 

XVIII.  Faith  its  own  evidence,  -         -         -         .  555 

XIX.  Evidences  of  true  religion  subsequent  to  faith,  575 

XX.  The  evidences  of  holiness,  -         -         -  581 

XXI.  Perseverance,         ------         533 

XXII.  Death,  judgment,  and  eternal  glory,         -         -         599 

CONCLUSION, 609 


THE  GOSPEL  PLAN,  &c 


BOOK  L 

The  gospel  supposes  that  we  are  sinners  and  teaches  us  the 
nature  of  our  sinful  state. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Man's  sinful  state. 

The  Gospel,  which  is  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  man 
kind,  necessarily  supposes  them  to  be  in  a  lost  state. 
What  we  mean  by  a  lost  state  is  a  state  of  guilt  and  sin. 
Guilt  renders  us  liable  to  punishment,  and  the  punish- 
ment to  which  we  are  liable  is  just,  because  wc  have 
transgressed  a  just  and  righteous  law.  In  transgressing  a 
righteous  law  we  have  done  wrong;  and  the  law  in  justice 
calls  for  punishment,  in  the  infliction  of  which  we  are 
made  to  suffer.  Not  only  so,  but  in  doing  wrong  we 
become  morally  vile.  Our  hearts  arc  alienated  from 
God  and  inclined  to  that  which  is  evil. 

Now  when  any  intelligent  creature  becomes  thus 
guilty  and  vile,  he  is  properly  said  to  be  lost;  this  is  the 
woful  state  of  every  child  of  Adam.  Therefore  it  fol- 
lows that  the  gospel  which  was  designed,  and  is  calcula- 
ted to  deliver  from  guilt  and  sin,  undoubtedly  must  teach 
us  to  believe  that  we  are  in  a  lost  and  ruined  condition; 
and  we  must  infer  that  if  we  have  never  been  taught  our 
depravity,  if  we  have  never  been  brought  to  feel  our 
helpless  condition  in  consequence  of  sin,  we  have  never 

A 


had  the  very  first  impressions  which  the  gospel  is  caicit- 
lated  to  give,  and  if  so,  we  cannot  have  any  evidence 
that  we  have  an  interest  in  Christ.  Peter's  converts  were 
cut  to  the  heart,  before  they  cried,  "  Men  and  brethren 
what  shall  we  do?" 

If  there  was  no  sin,  there  could  be  no  gospel.  No  one 
can  be  saved  before  he  is  lost.  The  conduct  of  our 
blessed  Saviour,  in  coming  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
is  lost,  never  could  be  vindicated  unless  those  whom  he 
came  to  seek  were  reall}^  in  a  lost  state.  And  when 
Christ  told  the  pharisees  "  that  he  came  not  to  call  the 
righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance,"  he  evidently  de- 
clares, that  holy  persons  cannot  be  subjects  of  gospel 
grace;  but  that  in  his  calls  and  invitations  he  only  ad- 
dresses those  who  have  broken  God's  law,  and  are  con- 
sequently in  a  lost  condition. 

There  are  three  ways  in  which  the  gospel  teaches  us 
our  sinful  state. 

1.  The  things  which  the  gospel  offers,  not  only  show 
us  that  we  are  sinners,  but  also  give  us  a  very  particular 
view  of  the  circumstances  of  that  unhappy  state. 

Pardon  of  sin  is  a  particular  benefit  offered  in  the 
gospel.  This  evidently  teaches  us  that  we  are  guilty 
creatures.  And  when  we  consider  the  unspeakable  value 
of  that  atonement,  which  is  the  ground  of  our  pardon, 
we  are  taught  the  awfully  heinous  nature  of  our  crimes. 
*'  If  these  thhigs  were  done  in  the  green  tree,  what  will 
*'  be  done  in  the  dry?"  If  Jesus  the  Saviour,  in  the  room 
of  the  guilty,  suffered  such  unspeakable  agony,  if  he  vvho 
was  in  himself  innocent,  who  was  a  divine  person,  felt 
such  awful  horrors  and  anguish,  what  would  become  of 
the  poor  finite  creature  who  had  broken  the  laws  of  God, 
if  he  had  to  suffer  all  this  vengeance  in  his  own  person. 
Was  it  just  in  God  thus  to  afflict  his  beloved  Son?  Surely 
his  only  begotten  Son,  if  it  was  possible,  would  have  been 
spared:  "  Father,  if  it  be  possible  let  this  cup  pass  from 


••  me,"  but  the  will  of  the  Lord  must  be  done,  his  jus- 
tice required  it.  "  Auakt:  O  sword  ngainst  the  shepherd, 
**  against  the  man  that  is  my  Icllow  saith  the  Lord." 
Why?  because  he  is  guilty,  and  justice  requires  that  he 
should  suffer.  But  >\hcn  we  inquire  how  he  became 
guilty,  the  prophet  Isaiah  gives  us  the  answer,  and 
solves  the  important  difficulty :  *'  He  was  wounded  for 
**our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities." 

Then  what  must  we  think  of  the  guilt  of  our  sins? 
When  we  find  "  Him  to  be  made  sin  for  us  who  knew  no 
"  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God 
*'  in  him,"  and  that  "  God  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but 
"delivered  him  up  for  us  all;"  we  must  indeed  conclude 
that  in  the  offers  of  pardon,  the  gospel  teaches  us  that  we 
are  guilty,  and  that  "  our  sins  ^re  of  a  deep  dye  and  of  a 
"crimson  colour." 

Every  true  christian  has  this  view  of  sin.  I  do  not  say 
he  must  have  it  always  equally  impressed  upon  his  mind, 
but  the  death  of  Christ  does  show  him  the  dreadful 
effects  of  breaking  God's  law.  I  confess  we  feel  many 
things  of  which  we  are  ignorant  as  to  the  grounds  of 
those  feelings.  We  are  sensible  of  the  feelings,  but  we 
do  not  know  sometimes  the  particular  grounds  from 
whence  they  proceed.  Sometimes  the  true  penitent  is  so 
impressed  with  a  sense  of  his  own  wretchedness  that  he 
does  not  consider  from  whence  his  views  arise.  He  is 
not  disposed  to  act  as  an  accurate  philosopher,  but  his 
mind  is  entirely  engrossed  with  its  own  unhappy  state. 
He  sees  that  he  is  a  helpless  siimer,  and  has  at  the  same 
time  some  hope  of  pardon.  But  he  is  apt  to  think  that 
Christ  is  angry  with  him,  be(;ause  he  had  to  suffer  so 
much  for  him;  and  therefore  although  the  death  of  Christ 
gives  him  a  striking  sense  of  his  deserts,  yet  because  he 
does  not  view  that  death  as  the  atonement  for  the  very 
sins  it  gives  him  a  view  of,  the  poor  creature  is  taken  up 
xvith  his  own  s^uilt.  and  through  his  shame  and  confusion 


he  can  tell  neither  this  nor  that  of  the  whole  matter,  but 
only  ciies  "  O  wretched  man  that  I  am,  what  shall  I  do 
"  to  be  saved'?"  This  was  the  case  with  the  three  thou- 
sand under  the  influence  of  Peter's  sermon.  Peter  con- 
vinced them  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  had  suffered,  and 
that  they  were  the  instigation  of  his  death.  The  jailer 
knew  that  Paul  and  Silas  were  imprisoned  on  account 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  cross;  and  the  miracles  convinced 
him  that  the  doctrines  they  taught  were  true.  He  was 
consequently  filled  with  horror,  as  engaged  in  opposition 
to  the  cause  of  Christ.  But  not  having  a  clear  view  of 
the  glorious  design  of  the  cross,  he  cried  through  the 
confusion  of  his  mind,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
Hence  it  is  evident  that  none  but  a  comfortable  believer 
can  have  a  proper  gospel  sense  of  sin;  and  although  a 
gospel  sense  of  sin  produces  a  high  degree  of  humility 
and  self-abhorrence,  yet  it  is  attended  with  a  high  degree 
of  hope  and  comfort,  founded  on  the  true  grounds  of  the 
gospel  which  takes  away  that  fearful  and  slavish  spirit 
which  is  no  evidence  of  true  religion,  and  enables  the 
poor  guilty  creature  to  glory  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  and 
claim  the  inestimable  privilege  of  pardon,  through  the 
atonement  of  his  glorious  surety.  "  That  thou  mayest  re- 
"  member  and  be  confounded,  and  never  open  thy  mouth 
"  any  more,  because  of  thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified 
"  toward  thee  for  all  that  thou  hast  done  saith  the  Lord." 
What  made  the  apostle  Paul  think  himself  the  chief  of 
sinners?  ^Vas  it  because  there  was  no  other,  or  no  vv^orse 
persecutor  in  the  world  than  he  ?  No,  but  he  was  viewing 
his  own  case,  and  the  cases  of  others  were  not  brought 
into  view;  and  his  particular  salvation  made  him  feel 
peculiarly  interested  in  the  death  of  Christ;  and  the  death 
of  Clirist  being  his  only  hope,  and  his  hope  founded  on 
that  deadi,  this  made  him  exclaim,  "  It  is  a  faithful 
"saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Jesus  Christ 
"'  came  into  the  world  to  save  simierSy  of  whom  I  am 


'*  chie/y  "The  law  is  a  schoolmaster  to  brinj^  us  to 
"  Christ,"  but  it  is  "  that  \\c  might  be  justified  by  faith." 
Now  eveu  supposing  that  the  apostle  meant  the  moral 
law,  and  not  the  ceremonial  law  of  the  Jews  (wliich  is  a 
very  doubtful  case)  yet  the  moral  law  is  to  be  viewed  as 
satisfied  and  made  honourable  through  Christ's  atone- 
ment, else  the  law  could  never  bring  us  to  Christ;  for 
the  law  says  notliing  about  Christ  of  itself,  and  therefore 
could  never  bring  us  to  Christ,  unless  it  is  viewed  in 
Christ.  But  when  it  is  viewed  in  Christ,  and  its  impor- 
tance, justice  and  dignity  discovered  in  his  most  inesti- 
mable atonement,  then  we  discover  both  the  dreadful 
nature  of  sin,  and  the  glorious  hope  of  the  gospel.  This 
breaks  the  heart  and  fills  the  mind,  not  with  despair  and 
melanchol}-,  or  incorrigible  rebellion,  which  is  the  effect 
of  a  view  of  the  law  out  of  Christ;  but  with  inexpressible 
anxiety  to  obtain  deliverance  from  the  awful  effects  of 
sin,  through  the  merits  of  the  glorious  surety;  "who 
"  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree."  The 
terror  of  Adam  belbre  he  received  the  promise  of  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  the  quaking  of  Ajloses,  and  the 
horrors  of  the  camp  of  Israel  at  Mount  Sinai,  and  the 
awful  anguish  of  devils  and  damned  spirits  in  hell,  teach 
us  the  inflexible  nature  of  divine  justice,  and  the  awful 
effects  of  having  broken  the  divine  law.  But  when  we 
have  a  right  view  of  the  cross,  we  can  find  no  instance  in 
all  the  economy  of  the  great  Governor  of  the  universe 
in  which  there  is  a  greater  display  of  the  glory  and  dig- 
nity of  the  law  of  God,  and  of  the  consequences  of 
breaking  it.  But  the  guilty  creature,  while  he  is  thus 
viewing  the  suficrings  of  Christ,  not  only  sees  the  great- 
ness of  his  guilt,  but  he  gets  this  view  of  guilt  bv  looking 
at  the  very  atonement  which  ^vas  made  foi-  sin,  for  he 
cannot  view  the  one  without  the  other.  If  Christ  had  not 
suffered  for  our  sake,  his  death  could  be  no  demonstra- 
tion of  our  y;uilt;  but  when  our  sin  was  the  cause  of  his 


deatli,  and  he  died  as  a  surety  in  our  place,  while  we 
view  the  greatness  of  our  guilt,  we  must  also  view  the 
greatness  of  our  ransom.  This  makes  the  poor  criminal 
instead  of  trembling  in  terror  and  despair,  like  devils 
under  the  terror  of  death  and  hell,  fall  down  at  the  foot 
of  the  cross,  and  surrender  to  the  gospel  plan,  and  plead 
for  mercy  for  Jesus'  sake. 

These  things  are  not  mere  refined  speculations,  but 
truths  which  christians  feel  less  or  more  from  day  to  day, 
and  which  the  bible  speaks  of,  as  the  genuine  effects  of 
the  gospel.  Paul,  who  both  felt  and  taught  the  gospel, 
gives  us  very  clear  views  on  this  subject.  You  would  do 
well  to  take  notice  of  the  beautiful  manner  in  which  he 
introduces  the  seventh  chapter  to  the  Romans,  by  the 
figure  of  a  woman  and  her  first  and  second  husband, 
plainly  showing  that  the  law  of  itself  ministers  nothing 
but  death;  and  in  order  to  get  clear  of  it  we  must  be 
*'  dead  to  it,"  or  it  dead  to  us  (which  is  the  same  thing) 
"  by  the  body  of  Christ"  (that  is  the  sufferings  of  Christ 
which  he  endured  when  his  body  was  nailed  to  the  tree.) 
Then  follow  the  penitent  sensations  of  the  poor  captive 
of  the  gospel  under  his  imperfections,  until  he  through 
a  sense  of  his  wretchedness,  in  broken  language  "thanks 
"  God,  for  Christ's  sake,"  plainly  showing  that  Christ  is 
the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last;  whether 
you  speak  of  faith,  love,  holiness  or  repentance,  Christ 
is  there,  or  all  is  nothing.  Hence  it  was  that  the  apostle 
was  determined  "  to  know  nothing"  among  the  Corin- 
thians "  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified."  Jesus 
Christ  would  do  no  good  to  a  lost  Corinthian  unless  he 
was  crucified;  but  Christ  on  the  cross  is  the  remedy  for 
a  lost  soul.  Therefore  "  God  forbid"  says  the  apostle 
"  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
"Jesus  Christ." 

The  scape  goat  (Lev.  16)  was  a  beautiful  type,  hold 
ing  forth  the  very  doctrine  I  am  now  endeavouring  to 


establish.  The  highpriest  was  to  lay  his  haiid  on  ihc 
head  of  the  goat,  and  there  confess  the  sins  of  all  the 
people ;  and  then  to  send  away  the  goat  into  the  wilder- 
ness. In  vain  do  sinners  talk  of  repentance,  unless  they 
have  their  hand  on  tiie  head  of  the  goat;  unless  they  re- 
pent and  confess  with  their  views  fixed  on  the  great 
atonement,  they  will  feel  nothing,  they  can  feel  nothing 
but  what  the  devils  in  hell  feel  continually.  Take  away 
Christ,  and  there  is  nothing  left  but  terror  and  despair. 

"  My  faith  would  lay  her  hand, 

"  On  that  dear  head  of  thine  ; 

"  While  like  a  penitent  I  stand, 

"  And  there  confess  my  sin."     Dn.  Watts. 

'*  Thus  while  his  death  my  sin  displays, 

*•'  In  all  its  blackest  hue ; 

"  Such  is  the  mystery  of  grace, 

"  It  seals  my  pardon  too. 

"  With  pleasing  grief  and  mournful  joy, 

"  My  spirit  now  is  fill'd; 

"  That  I  should  such  a  life  destroy, 

"  Yet  live  by  him  I  kill'd."     Newton. 

The  prophet  Zechariah,  prophesying  of  the  gospel 
day,  saith,  "  And  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom  they 
"  have  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  him  as  one 
"  mourncth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness 
"  for  him  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  firstborn."  A 
view  of  sin  given  by  the  gospel  has  a  powerful  effect 
upon  the  human  heart.  The  prophet  represents  it  as 
derived  from  Christ  who  vv^as  pierced  for  sin,  and  as 
really  affecting  as  the  death  of  a  firstborn,  and  an  only 
son;  and  he  most  elegantly  describes  it  as  if  every  one 
was  individually  engaged  in  his  own  case.  "  And  the 
'^  land  shall  mourn  every  family  apart;  the  family  of  the 
"  house  of  David  apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  the  family 
"  of  the  house  of  Nathan  apart,  and  their  wives  apart. 
"  All   the  families  that  remain  apart,  and  their  wives 


*'  apart."  It  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  families  would 
be  sociiil,  and  so  they  are  in  common  affairs  of  life,  and 
in  many  cases  of  religion;  and  especially  a  husband  and 
wife,  which  is  the  most  social  connexion  under  the  sun. 
Religion  also  disposes  all  persons  to  sociality  and 
friendship;  but  such  is  the  interesting  nature  of  a  sinner's 
own  salvation,  that  when  either  son  or  daughter,  husband 
or  wife,  gets  a  view  of  Christ  crucified,  and  feels  the 
solemn  effects  of  the  gospel  on  the  heart,  discovering  the 
awful  conse(|uences  of  sin,  and  the  only  remedy  through 
him  "  who  was  wounded  for  their  transgressions,  who  was 
*'  bruised  for  their  iniquities;"  they  immediately  betake 
themselves  apart,  every  branch  of  the  family  apart,  and 
even  the  wife  apart;  every  one  for  himself  taken  up  and 
entirely  engrossed  in  the  concerns  of  the  immortal  soul. 

Thus  1  hope,  I  have  fully  made  it  appear  that  the  offers 
of  pardon,  founded  on  the  atonement  of  Christ,  give  us 
a  clear  and  affecting  view  of  the  greatness  of  our  guilt, 
and  the  only  profitable  view  that  we  can  have,  becciuse  it 
points  us  directly  to  the  all-sufficient  remedy.  Our  hopes 
and  our  fears  are  addressed  at  onCe,  with  every  possible 
advantage,  and  every  motive  combines  together  to  com- 
pel the  soul  to  yield  to  the  gospel. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Mail's  sinful  state  farther  considered. 

The  grand  effect  of  the  gospel  on  a  depraverl  sinner, 
is  to  make  him  holy.  Salvation  without  this,  could  never 
be  complete.  In  this  the  excellence  of  the  gospel  plan 
appears,  that  it  not  only  entitles  a  guilty  sinner  to  justifi- 
cation, but  also  completely  prepares  him  for  happiness 
in  the  eternal  enjoyment  of  God,  whose  favour  and 
friendship  he  obtains  through  the  great  atonement  of  the 
cross.  Hence  we  find,  that  the  gospel  not  only  offers  par- 


9 

don  through  the  righteousness  of  the  Redeemer,  but  also 
the  sanctifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  change 
the  heart,  and  carry  on  a  \vork  of  sanctification  under  the 
direction  of  infinite  wisdom,  until  the  soul  is  finally  con- 
brmed  to  the  divine  will.  Every  oft'er  made  in  the  gospel, 
o  the  sinner,  for  the  sanctification  of  his  soul,  shows  that 
vve  are  by  nature  in  a  state  of  pollution.  The  very  idea 
if  washing  supposes  filth;  and  the  very  idea  of  sanctifi- 
i^ation  supposes  the  corruption  of  the  heart.  To  have 
clear  views  on  this  subject  we  must  consider  the  follow- 
ing things. 

1.  It  is  really  true,  that  the  gospel  proposes  sanctifi- 
cation. This  is  evident  from  the  following  passages. 

"  Holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

**  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be 
"saved." 

"  His  name  shall  be  called  Jesus,  for  he  shall  save  his 
"people  from  their  sins." 

None  can  be  said  to  be  saved  while  they  are  under  the 
reigning  power  of  sin;  holiness  is  therefore  a  grand  part 
of  salvation.  Sanctification  is  necessaiy  to  make  a  sinner 
holy,  and  consequently,  necessary  to  a  sinner's  salvation; 
but  the  gospel  offers  salvation  to  all  who  hear  it,  therefore 
we  must  conclude  that  the  gospel  offers  sanctification, 
and  the  offer  must  suppose  that  the  soul  is  defiled  with 
sin. 

2.  The  very  terms  which  the  scriptures  make  use  of, 
holding  forth  the  doctrine  of  sanctification,  plainly  imply 
the  depravity  and  corruption  of  the  human  heart.  When 
God  proposes  to  "  take  away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  give 
"  a  heart  of  flesh,"  we  are  certainly  taught  that  our  hearts 
are  hard,  stubborn  and  unfeeling.  When  Christ  is  said 
to  "  cleanse  his  church,"  (Ej)h.  5.)  it  is  because  she  is 
unclean  by  nature.  When  he  is  said  to  '*  present  it 
*'  without  spot  or  wrinkle,"  or  any  such  thing,  we  are 
taught  the  leprosy  of  the  heart  in  consequence  of  sin. 

B 


10 

When  he  is  said  to  make  his  church  "  holy  and  without 
*'  blemish,"  we  are  surely  taught  our  moral  defilement. 
When  it  is  promised  that  God  will  "  put  his  laws  in 
*'  their  mind,  and  write  them  in  their  heart,"  it  must  be 
inferred  thai  our  hearts  have  lost  the  moral  image  of 
God,  and  that  we  are  entirely  estranged  from  holiness. 

How  encouraging  it  must  be  to  a  poor  sinner  feeling 
his  own  depravity,  and  sensible  of  his  duiiy  shortcomings, 
to  see  that  the  very  imperfections  which  he  feels  and 
mourns  o^^er  from  day  to  day,  are  pointed  at  and  clearly 
held  out  to  view  by  the  precious  offers  and  promises  of 
the  gospel,  pointing  him  to  Jesus  as  the  only,  and  the 
sovereign  remedy  for  all  his  complaints.  When  we  at- 
tempt in  our  own  strength  to  wash  and  make  ourseh  es 
clean,  we  find  by  sad  experience  tliat  tampering  with 
our  disease,  we  only  make  it  fester  the  more,  and  spread 
the  wider.  We  sometimes  think  that  "  Abana  and  Phar- 
"  par  are  better  than  all  the  waters  of  Israel."  (2  Kings  5. 
12.)  But  the  precious  offers  of  the  gospel,  not  only  teach 
us  our  unhappy  leprosy,  but  also  direct  us  "  to  go  and 
"  wash  in  the  river  Jordan,"  and  assures  us  we  shall  be 
clean.  The  great  object  of  the  gospel  is  holiness;  and  the 
great  object  of  a  true  believer  is  holiness.  Thus  the  gos- 
pel not  only  teaches  us  that  we  are  depraved  creatures, 
but  the  true  believer  who  feels  the  effects  of  the  gospel, 
feels  the  depravity  of  his  heart. 

When  Christ  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel  saivh  "■  I  will 
"  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean; 
"  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idois,  will  I 
"  cleanse  you."  (Ezek.  36.  25.)  When  we  hear  him  pray- 
ing for  us,  "  sanctify  them  through  thy  tiuth;  thy  word 
"  is  truth;  and  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they 
"  also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth,"  (John  17. 
17,  19.)  we  are  certainly  taught  two  solemn  lessons;  we 
are  first  taught  that  we  are  vile,  and  in  an  awiui  state 
of  sin,  and  we  are  also  directed  to  Christ  the  precious 


11 

"  fountain  which  was  opened  for  the  washing  away  of 
"sin  and  uncleanncss.'' 

Wc  observe  in  tlie  last  place  that  the  gospel  teaches 
us  our  lost  condition,  in  the  offers  of  light  and  under- 
standing which  are  so  frequently  made  in  scripture  to 
poor  blinded  sinners.  "  To  open  their  eyes,  and  to  turn 
"  them  from  dar.kness  unto  light."  (Isa.  42.  Acts  26.  18.) 
Ignorance,  blindness,  darkness  of  the  understanding, 
mistaken  views  of  God,  of  his  law,  of  ourselves,  and  of 
Christ,  are  all  the  ruinous  consequences  of  the  fall.  If 
we  were  not  ignorant  we  could  not  be  taught.  If  we 
were  not  foolish,  we  could  not  lack  wisdom ;  and  because 
we  find  that  Christ  is  "  made  of  God,  to  us  wisdom;" 
and  because  he  "  opens  the  dungeon,"  and  enlightens 
the  understanding,  we  hereby  learn  our  wretched  blind- 
ness and  folly. 

We  must  "  be  taught  of  God,"  else  we  will  not  accept 
of  Christ,  and  consequently  "die  in  our  sins."  Hence 
we  see  that  the  offers  of  the  gospel  teach  us  our  igno- 
rance, as  well  as  our  pollution  and  guilt,  and  while  we 
learn  ihe  deplorable  lesson,  we  are  directed  to  Christ, 
not  only  for  pardon  and  sanctification,  but  also  to  en- 
lighten our  beclouded  minds,  that  he  as  our  great  Prophet 
may  make  us  wise  unto  salvation. 

From  what  has  been  said,  we  must  see  that  the  gospel 
in  its  offers  of  salvation  abundantly  teaches  cur  lost  state, 
and  very  particularly  points  us  to  the  unhappy  circum- 
stances of  our  depra\cd  condition. 


12 


CHAPTER  III 

Observations  on  particular  texts  which  doctrinally  teath 
us  our  lost  state. 

We  come  now  in  the  second  place,  to  consider  ano- 
ther way  in  which  the  gospel  teaches  us  our  lost  state. 

We  are  not  only  taught  this  important  doctrine  by  all 
the  offers  of  grace  made  to  us  in  the  bible,  but  man} 
passages  of  scripture  are  employed  for  this  identical  pur- 
pose, and  many  lively  and  strong  figures  are  made  use 
of  to  show  us  our  awfully  undone  state.  Let  me  there- 
fore call  your  serious  attention  to  a  few  texts,  out  of 
many,  which  will  make  this  matter  plain  before  you. 

The  first  account  which  we  have  of  our  lost  state  is 
in  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis.  What  a  doleful  story 
it  is!  Poor  unhappy  Adam!  a  public  representative  of 
all  his  offspring  has  lost  his  original  beauty,  transgressed 
the  will  of  his  Maker,  filled  with  guilt  and  shame,  alien- 
ated from  God,  and  plunged  in  ignorance,  guilt  and 
moral  pollution! 

Where  is  the  son  or  daughter  of  Adam,  who  can  read 
this  melancholy  account  without  feeling  the  need  of  a 
Saviour!  Where  is  the  man  who  can  look  over  that  an- 
cient piece  of  sacred  history,  without  smiting  upon  his 
breast,  saying  "God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner!" 
Although  there  is  a  promise  of  an  Almighty  Saviour, 
blended  with  the  account;  yet  that  is  so  far  from  alle- 
viating the  crimes  of  the  sinner,  that  it  is  highly  signifi- 
cant of  the  dismal  nature  of  the  fault. 

But  to  proceed,  "  and  God  saw  that  the  wickedness 
*'  of  man  was  great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagina- 
''  tion  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  con- 
"tinually."  (Gen.  6.  5.)  "  God  looked  down  from  heaven 
"  upon  the  children  of  men,  to  see  if  there  were  any  that 
"  did  understand,  that  did  seek  God.  Every  one  of  them 


"  is  gone  back;  they  arc  altogether  become  filthy.  There 
"  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one."  (Psal.  53.  2,  3.) 
"  There  is  no  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes."  "  I'hat 
"  every  mouth  may  be  stopped  and  all  the  world  may 
*'  become  guilty  before  God."  (Rom.  3.)  "  For  all  have 
"  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God. "  "  For  there 
"  is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth  that  doeth  good  and  shineth 
"not."  (Eccl.  7.  -20.)  But  I  need  not  multiply  scripture 
passages;  these  are  sufficient  to  give  us  a  general  view 
of  our  awfully  depraved  condition.  (Jer.  17.  9.) 

The  guilt  of  sin  is  strongly  expressed  by  such  pas- 
sages as  these.  "  In  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou 
"  shalt  surely  die.  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die. 
"  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things 
"  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them." 

In  vain  do  careless  sinners  trifle  with  these  important 
truths.  How  pitiable  it  is  to  see  a  poor  helpless  wretch, 
assuming  the  high  prerogative  of  deciding  in  his  own 
case!  What  advantage  can  it  possibly  be  to  a  guilty 
soul,  to  trifle  with  his  own  guilt,  and  to  imagine  that  he 
can  escape  the  tremendous  justice  of  God  Almighty? 
How  many  artful  schemes  are  laid  in  order  to  escape  the 
vengeance  of  Heaven.  Some  must  be  deists,  and  some 
plead  for  universal  redemption;  some  trust  to  a  poor 
broken  skeleton  of  morality,  and  some  to  future  repen- 
tance; some  must  deny  that  there  is  a  hell  or  devil,  and 
some  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  "  But  he  who  sits  in 
"  heaven  shall  laugh, the  Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision." 
Our  guilt  is  evident  from  the  bible,  and  there  is  not  one 
soul  delivered,  or  ever  can  possibly  be  but  the  believer 
in  Christ;  for  that  is  the  only  exception.  "He  that  be- 
"  lieveth  not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of 
"  God  abideth  on  him." 

Again,  what  striking  figures  and  expressions  does  the 
bible  use  to  represent  the  moral  pollution  of  a  sinner. 
The  loathsome  and  helpless  state  of  a  sinner  is  repre- 


14 

sented  as  a  new  born  infant,  neither  washed  nor  swaddled, 
but  cast  out  in  the  open  field,  all  loathsome  and  polluted 
in  its  own  blood.  (Ezek.  16.)  Sinners  are  compared  to  a 
den  of  unclean  beasts,  and  a  cage  of  unclean  birds,  to  an 
open  sepulchre,  to  rottenness  and  dead  men's  bones. 
Sinners  are  said  to  be  altogether  filthy,  to  be  poisonous  as 
asps,  their  mouths  are  said  to  be  full  of  cursing  and  bit- 
terness. (Rom.  3.)  And  God  declares  that  sin  is  that 
abominable  thing  which  he  hateth.  (Jer.  44.  4.)  It  is  the 
great  unhappiness  of  sinners  that  they  love  sin,  and  hence 
it  is  hard  to  realize  its  abominable  nature.  It  is  difiicult 
to  feel  that  loathsome  which  we  love,  but  the  special 
reason  why  sinners  do  not  loath  and  abhor  themselves  is 
'because  they  are  possessed  of  a  base  temper  in  their  owiO 
mind;  but  in  the  sight  of  a  God  of  spotless  perfection 
there  is  nothing  so  abominable  as  sin;  and  one  of  the 
very  first  effects  of  sanctification  is  for  the  sinner  to 
loath  his  own  heart.  "  O  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who 
"  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death?" 

Once  more,  the  gospel  clearly  teaches  us  that  we  are 
lost  in  ignorance  and  folly.  The  gentiles  and  all  who 
obey  not  the  gospel  are  said  to  be  ignorant  of  God. 
(iThess.  4.  5.  2  Thess.  1.  8.)  Sinners  "have  their  under- 
"  standing  darkened,  being  alienated  from  the  life  of 
"  God,  through  the  ignorance  that  is  within  them,  because 
"  of  the  blindness  of  their  hearts."  (Eph.  4.  18.)  "  My 
"people  are  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge."  (Hos. 
4.  6.) 

Ignorance  is  often  the  ground  of  folly,  but  sin  is  always 
the  consequence  of  folly  in  matters  of  religion;  hence  in 
the  scriptures,  fools  is  a  general  character  given  to  the 
wicked.  "  The  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  there  is  no 
"God.  Have  the  workers  of  iniquity  no  knowledge?" 
"(Ps.  14.)  Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be  re- 
"  quired  of  thee.  (Luke  12.  20.  1  Cor.  3.  18.)  Fools 
"make  a  mock  of  sin.  (Prov.  14.  9.)  Professing  them- 


J5 

"  selves  to  be  wise  they  became  fools.  (Rom.  1.  22.) 
"  The  fear  of  the  Ix>rd  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom,  and  a 
"  good  understanding  have  all  those  who  keep  his  com- 
"  mandments."  (Ps.  lil.  10.)  From  all  which  things 
we  clearly  see  that  the  gospel  teaches  us  our  lost  state, 
not  only  by  the  encouraging  overtures  it  contains,  but 
also  by  positive  doctrines  laid  before  us,  as  in  the  texts 
and  passages  above  cjuoted,  and  in  many  others  which 
could  be  easily  pointed  to,  were  it  necessary. 

Let  us  make  one  or  two  reflections  before  I  conclude 
this  chapter.  What  a  miserable  state  we  are  in  by  nature ! 
and  seeing  it  is  the  gospel  that  teaches  it  to  us,  and  we 
have  an  opportunity  of  a  wonderful  deliverance,  how 
happy  would  we  be  if  we  would  lay  hold  of  the  glorious 
hope  of  the  gospel.  How  wise  mankind  pretend  to  be; 
they  can  describe  the  various  revolutions  of  the  planets 
with  the  greatest  accuracy;  but  alas,  how  many  not  only 
of  the  lower  class,  but  even  those  of  the  greatest  genius 
and  profound  erudition,  have  neither  sense  nor  wisdom 
enough  to  accei)t  of  sahation  when  it  is  offered  to  them. 
\Mien  every  thing  seems  to  conspire  to  show  them  their 
misery,  they  will  not  be  persuaded  to  lay  it  to  heart. 
How  wretched  must  that  man  be,  who  misses  the  salva- 
tion of  his  soul;  but  what  a  happy  circumstance  it  is  to 
be  brought  to  see  and  feel  our  danger  before  it  is  too  late. 
To  be  interested  in  Christ  is  a  most  unspeakable  pri- 
vilege. But  it  is  a  privilege,  although  it  is  freely  offered 
to  all,  yet  none  enjoy  but  those  who  sensible  of  their 
need,  accept  of  Christ,  freely  as  he  is  offered  in  the 
gospel. 


16 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  necessity  of  the  divine  Spirit  effectually  to  convince 
us  of  our  lost  state. 

In  the  third  and  last  place,  the  gospel  teaches  us  our 
lost  state  effectually,  when  it  is  accompanied  by  the  in- 
fluences of  the  holy  Spirit.  It  is  promised  to  Christ  in 
behalf  of  his  people,  "  that  they  shall  all  be  taught  of 
"God."  Christ  promised  to  send  the  Spirit,  the  Comforter, 
to  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  of  judg- 
ment ;  and  when  this  promise  is  fulfilled,  when  the  divine 
Spirit  accompanies  the  word,  it  is  astonishing  what  a 
powerful  effect  the  gospel  has  on  a  poor  lost  sinner.  Let 
him  be  who  he  may,  no  matter  of  what  country,  or  what 
worldly  circumstances ;  no  matter  what  his  notions  or  his 
hopes,  or  his  arguments  were  before,  the  gospel  opens 
his  case  to  hinl ;  he  can  shut  his  eyes  no  longer;  he  is  all 
attention,  not  as  a  curious  spectator  but  a  person  whose 
very  soul  is  deeply  interested. 

It  has  been  often  asked,  what  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit, 
or  how  does  the  Spirit  enlighten  the  understanding?  But 
this  question  has  never  been  answered.  To  say  that  it  is 
by  the  word  is  saying  nothing  to  the  point,  for  the  ques- 
tion is  not  what  are  the  means,  but  what  is  that  work,  or 
influence  which  renders  the  word  effectual.  To  say  that 
it  is  divine  illumination  is  only  solving  one  difficulty  by 
another.  To  say  that  it  is  a  work  of  almighty  power  upon 
the  heart,  without  light  or  motive,  is  darkening  coun- 
sel by  words  without  knowledge.  To  talk  of  God  forcing 
the  will,  any  other  way  than  by  argument,  is  palpable 
contradiction.  The  will  is  choice,  and  every  constraint 
except  that  which  arises  from  moral  suasion,  is  entirely 
inapplicable  to  the  will.  But  how  the  Spirit  enlightens 
the  understanding,  (Eph.  1.  18.)  so  that  tiie  person  so 
wrought  upon  is  made  to  view  the  arguments  of  the 


gospel,  is  what  we  cannot  tell;   and  il  is  belter  to  ac- 
knowledge ignorance  than  to  talk  nonsense. 

But  it  is  a  notorious  fact  that  tiie  Spirit  of  God  does 
influence  the  mind;  and  by  his  gracious  power  on  the 
understanding,  opening  the  eyes,  as  the  apostle  says,  the 
divine  doctrines  of  the  gospel  are  let  into  the  soul.  "  For 
"God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  dark- 
*'  ness,  hath  shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  ligiu  of  the 
"  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
"Christ."  (2  Cor.  4.  6.)  This  appears  farther  evident 
from  that  precious  promise  which  Christ  gave  to  his  dis- 
ciples: (John  16.  8.)  "  And  when  he  (the  Comforter)  is 
"  come,  he  will  reprove  the  world  of  bin,  of  righteousness 
"  and  of  judgment." 

The  holy  Spirit,  who  is  here  called  the  Comforter,  is 
sent  by  the  ascended  Saviour,  on  the  great  business  of 
applying  the  purchased  blessings  of  the  gospel.  He  is 
called  the  Comforter,  or  Advocate,  (Tra^ax-AgTos)  not  only 
because  he  gives  comfort  to  his  people,  but  because  his 
great  business  with  sinners  is  to  apply  to  their  hearts  the 
most  comfortable  truths  that  can  possibly  be  conceived 
of,  even  truths  calculated  to  save  their  souls  from  ever- 
lasting misery.  The  gospel  is  a  bundle  of  good  news,  or 
comfortable  tidings.  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace 
"and  good  will  towards  men."  And  when  the  Spirit 
performs  his  work,  the  sinner  finds  by  experience  that 
the  gospel  is  glad  tidings  of  great  joy;  and  the  Spirit,  who 
opens  his  eyes  to  see  it,  is  a  Comforter  indeed. 

Our  Saviour  says,  "  and  they  shall  be  all  taught  of 
"  God.  And  none  can  come  unto  me  except  the  Father 
"  which  hath  sent  me  draw  him."  He  also  tells  his  disci- 
ples, "  that  the  Spirit  of  truth,  whom  he  will  send,  pro- 
"ceedeth  from  the  Father."  It  is  evident  therefore,  that 
the  Father  teaches  by  the  Spirit,  and  that  none  will  come 
to  Christ  unless  the  Spirit  draws  him.  The  drawing  of 
the  Spirit  is  "  with  the  cords  of  a  man,  and  bands  of  love." 

C 


18 

(Hosca  11.  4.)  From  all  which  we  conclude  that  it  is 
the  work  of  the  Spirit  to  enlighten  the  mind,  and  to  bring 
the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  home  lo  the  hearts  of  sinners; 
and  ^ve  have  many  instances  in  the  bible,  and  in  the 
church,  as  well  as  many  proofs  on  divine  authority,  to 
show  that  when  the  Spirit  works  with  the  word,  the 
sinner  is  convinced  of  his  lost  state  indeed. 

It  is  a  very  happy  circumstance,  and  tends  much  to 
establish  our  minds  in  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  to 
find  that  the  doctrines  we  are  taught  to  believe  are  felt 
to  be  true,  by  our  own  experience  and  the  experience 
of  all  around  us.  It  is  an  old  adage,  experience  makes 
even  fools  wise.  The  teaching  of  the  Spirit  is  the  only 
thing  to  make  us  feel  the  force  of  truth.  Although  in 
point  of  persuasion,  preachers  of  the  gospel  have  some 
disadvantages,  arising  chiefly  from  the  incorrigibleness 
of  their  hearers;  yet  upon  the  whole  we  may  say  they 
have,  as  to  the  importance  of  their  subjects,  and  the  in- 
teresting nature  of  the  truths  they  deliver  to  every  soul 
who  hears  them,  every  possible  advantage:  yet  nothing- 
can  be  done  without  divine  power.  The  motives  of  the 
gospel  are  truly  awful  and  glorious:  heaven  on  the  one 
hand  and  hell  on  the  other,  every  principle  of  self  pre- 
servation addressed  in  the  most  striking  manner;  the 
doctrines  well  founded  to  command  belief,  simple  and 
easy  to  be  understood.  The  soul  addressed  is  immortal, 
and  every  moment  in  danger  of  eternal  damnation.  Sal- 
\ation  freely  offered  and  insured  to  the  believer,  by  a 
God  of  unchangeable  veracity;  and  eternal  death,  the 
consequence  of  unbelief,  and  nothing  wanting  but  the 
consent  of  the  will.  But  notwithstanding  all  these  advan- 
tages, the  greatest  and  most  eloquent  speaker  may  lay 
out  his  whole  strength  and  exert  himself  to  the  uttermost, 
and  direct  the  artillery  of  the  bible  to  the  very  conscience 
of  the  sinner;  alas!  alas!  without  the  divine  power  of 
God,  the  hardened  wretch  will  perhaps,  laugh  when  he 


19 

IS  done,  or  go  away  Gallio  like,  caring  for  none  of"  those 
thing's. 

This  is  not  only  the  case  among  the  lower  classes  ol" 
mankind,  init  even  among  the  wise  men  of  the  earth. 
Na}',  God  seems  to  ha\  e  a  particular  design  to  confound 
the  wisdom  of  the  \\  orld,  hence  we  find  that  man}'  men 
of  noble  talents,  fine  argumentative  powers,  with  all  the 
advantages  of  reading  and  study,  have  never  learnt  this 
little  important  lesson,  which  many  a  poor  African  sla^•e 
has  learnt  long  ago,  that  he  is  a  lost  sinner. 

But  when  the  divine  Spirit  brings  home  the  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  the  subject  of  his  powerful  influences  be- 
gins immediately  to  cry,  "  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
The  wicked  world  gazes,  and  imputes  the  whole  perhaps 
to  weakness.  O  ye  wise  men  of  the  world,  ye  philoso- 
phers of  the  age,  it  must  surely  be  great  weakness  for  a 
sinner  to  be  sensible  that  he  has  done  wrong,  and  to  be 
sorry  for  it.  It  must  be  surely  mere  eflfeminacy  for  a 
sinner  to  conclude  that  God  is  just,  and  that  he  conse- 
quently will  condemn  a  sinner.  For  a  lost  sinner  to  give 
his  heart  to  Jesus  and  fly  to  the  onl}'  hope  of  the  gospel, 
to  quit  his  former  ways  of  vanity  and  betake  himself  to 
religion,  is  the  next  thing  to  insanity,  and  especially  if  it 
happens  to  be  a  weak  female,  or  a  young  stripling.  But 
a  man  of  vour  strength  and  solidity  of  judgment  can  li\e 
contented  and  happy  from  day  to  day,  in  the  midst  of 
ten  thousand  dangers.  You  have  more  sense  than  to 
think  that  you  are  a  sinner,  and  if  you  are,  you  are  not 
so  simple  as  to  repent.  You  do  not  know  that  you  are 
accountable  to  the  God  that  made  you ;  and  if  you  are, 
you  are  not  so  weak  as  to  be  afraid  of  him.  The  suffer- 
ings of  Christ  is  no  argument  to  a  man  of  such  strong 
reasoning  powers  as  you ;  you  have  more  sense  than  to 
accept  of  salvation  from  the  hand  of  a  crucified  Saviour. 

But  for  niv  own  part,  I  would  rather  like  David,  be  a 
doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  God,  than  to  d\vell  in  the 


20 

tents  of  sin.  Give  me  my  lot  with  those  poor  weak  des- 
pised ones,  who  taught  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  have  just 
sense  enough  to  know  that  they  are  lost  sinners,  and  t© 
look  to  Christ  for  salvation. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Improvement. 

FiioM  the  view  which  we  have  taken,  we  find  that  the 
gospel  does  really  teach  us,  and  call  us  to  consider  our 
lost  and  undone  condition.  By  attending  to  this  subject, 
we  have  had  a  striking  demonstration  of  the  wretched- 
ness of  this  condition,  and  how  miserable  we  must  be^ 
unless  we  can  be  delivered  from  it.  We  also  find  that 
there  is  yet  hope  for  a  lost  sinner,  and  we  are  pointed  to 
the  only  sure  foundation.  Does  not  my  honest  reader 
almost  feel  a  disposition  to  pause  at  every  period  and 
tliink,  what  an  accumulation  of  baleful  epithets  consti- 
tute our  character.  Ignorant,  polluted,  guilty,  hardened, 
unbelieving,  wretched  and  helpless.  Who  could  live  con- 
tented in  such  a  woful  situation?  Can  you^  my  dear 
friend,  whoever  you  are?  Have  you  made  your  escape, 
by  la}  ing  hold  of  the  great  surety,  who  hung  upon  the 
cross?  Or  are  you  still  in  your  sins,  and  in  danger  of 
eternal  death?  If  so  are  you  not  afraid?  What!  not 
afraid  of  death!  not  afraid  of  hell!  not  afraid  of  God! 
not  afraid  of  inexorable  justice  and  almighty  power! 

But  if  you  are  interested  in  Christ,  your  guilt  is  gone 
forever;  and  your  sins  and  your  iniquities  will  be  remem- 
bered no  more.  Though  you  are  helpless  in  yourself,  vour 
blessed  surety  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  You  ^^erc 
once  darkness,  but  now  are  you  light  in  the  Lord.  Your 
character  assumes  a  different  tone,  light,  life  and  righteous- 
ness. You  are  interested  in  Christ  by  faith,  and  strong 
in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might. 


Let  nic  address  three  classes  from  the  subject  wc  havt 
been  treating;  sinners,  distressed  souls,  and  comfortable 
believers. 

1.  Sinners.  You  have  the  first  lesson  of  practical  re- 
ligion yet  to  learn.  You  are  far  from  God,  and  far  from 
heaven.  You  are  iiftecn,  twenty,  thirt}'  or  forty  years  of 
a,^c,  and  you  have  not  yet  felt  the  very  first  impressions 
^vhich  the  gospel  is  calculated  to  give.  Had  not  God 
spared  your  lives,  you  would  have  been  by  this  time  in 
hell;  and  were  you  to  die  this  moment  you  would  open 
\our  eyes  in  a  world  of  eternal  horror  and  despair.  Is  it 
not  time  for  you  to  consider  that  you  are  lost,  and  to  lay 
to  heart  your  deplorable  condition?  There  is  salvation 
offered  you,  but  you  see  not  your  need  of  it.  You  drone 
away  your  life  in  carnal  security.  Be  persuaded  to  think 
of  your  misery,  while  you  have  the  offers  of  salvation. 

I  would  also  remind  sinners,  that  the  quickest,  easiest 
and  safest  May  to  get  religion,  is  to  get  a  sense  of  sin 
Irom  the  cross  of  Christ;  there  is  nothing  in  the  law  of 
God,  but  what  is  seen  clearer  when  you  brmg  it  to  the 
cross,  than  any  where  else.  To  look  at  the  law  any  where 
else,  will  give  you  a  slavish  terror,  and  fill  you  with 
fruitless  pain,  unprofitable  anguish,  and  hellish  repen- 
tance ;  witness  Judas,  who  had  no  view  of  Christ  as  the 
atonement  for  sin;  witness  also  Felix,  when  he  was  con- 
vinced of  his  wickedness,  he  trembled  indeed,  but  his 
heart  was  not  changed.  But  to  look  upon  a  pierced 
Saviour,  will  give  you  a  view  of  the  law  in  all  its  dignity 
and  glory;  and  beholding  it  in  Christ,  it  will  naturalh 
lead  you  to  him,  and  you  will  be  shut  up  to  the  faith. 
This  will  break  your  heart  indeed;  for  it  is  hard  for  a 
sinner  to  stand  against  the  love  of  Christ. 

2. 1  do  believe  some  people  are  afraid  they  will  get  com- 
fort too  soon.  They  are  like  that  "  foolish  son,  Ephraim, 
for  they  stay  "  too  long  in  the  place  of  the  breaking  forth  of 
''children."  (Hos.  13.  13.)  Long  travail  is  neither  good  for 


22 

the  mother  nor  the  child.  It  is  both  painful  and  dangerous; 
and  the  '?Tcaiest  number  of  those  pains  are  sure  to  l^e  spu- 
rious, and  many  a  poor  child  is  still  born  in  consequence 
of  them.  But  if  you  must  have  pain,  go  to  the  garden  of 
Eden,  and  hear  an  angry  God  speak,  when  Adam  had 
broken  the  covenant;  but  take  care  lest  you  notice  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  for  that  would  lead  you  to  the  atone- 
ment, which  would  spoil  all  your  pain  and  make  you 
happy  before  you  are  ready.  Mount  Sinai  is  a  dreadful 
place  to  get  a  view  of  the  law ;  it  made  Moses  himself  to 
fear  and  quake;  and  it  is  awfully  dangerous  to  approach 
too  nigh,  or  stay  too  long.  The  devils  in  hell  are  a  dread- 
ful exhibition  of  divine  justice.  But  where  is  the  ran- 
som? Must  you  go  the  whole  round  of  pain  and  anguish, 
before  you  can  apply  to  a  crucified  Saviour?  O  despond- 
ing soul,  whoever  you  are,  grant  me  one  favour,  and 
you  will  never  rue  it ;  come  with  me  to  Calvary,  and  stand 
awhile  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  You  may  venture  nigh. 
It  is  your  friend  who  is  hangir.g  here.  This  is  not  like 
Sinai.  A  guilty  sinner  may  draw  near.  A  vile  rebel  may 
gaze  in  welcome.  Sinners  and  scoffers  surrounded  him, 
and  he  prayed  for  them.  The  thief  hung  by  his  side,  and 
felt  the  power  of  his  death.  Do  you  want  to  see  the  law 
you  have  broken?  Here  it  is  in  all  its  glory.  Do  you  want 
to  see  justice,  red  and  flaming?  Look  at  the  sufferer.  Do 
you  want  to  see  your  guilt?  Look  at  your  substitute. 
Do  you  want  to  see  your  ransom?  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God,  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world."  Now  where 
are  the  grounds  of  your  doubts  and  fears?  Do  you  see 
what  a  sinner  you  have  been?  Where  do  you  read  your 
crimes?  In  the  wounds  of  your  glorious  surety.  Is  he 
not  "  wounded  for  your  transgressions,  and  bruised  for 
"your  iniquities?"  and  is  it  not  by  his  stripes  you  are 
healed?  But  yoU  are  ready  to  say,  O,  I  am  too  unwor- 
thy. What!  can  you  be  unworthy  of  such  a  privilege 
as  the  cross  of  Christ  gives  you?  That  is  as  great  a  truth 


as  you  ever  spake  in  your  life.  But  do  you  mean  that 
your  unworthiness  is  an  objtetion  against  your receiviniij 
the  beiK'fit  of  tlie  cross?  Strange  indeed!  You  cannot 
find  that  language  in  the  death  of  Christ.  What!  unwor- 
th\-  to  be  redeemed!  unworthy  to  be  saved  by  grace! 
Did  Jesus  die  for  the  righteous,  or  for  sinners'?  You 
surely  do  not  rightly  consider  the  design  of  the  death  of 
Christ.  It  was  to  save  that  thief  who  was  crucified  with 
him,  and  no  doubt  some  of  those  who  wagged  their  heads 
in  derision.  "  Father  forgive  them."  It  was  to  save  Mary 
Magdalene,  Saul  of  Tarsus,  and  you  and  nve,  and  every 
soul  who  will  believe  in  him. 

"  Look  unto  me  and  be  ye  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the 
"  earth.  He  that  believeth  in  me  shall  never  perish  but 
"  have  everlasting  life.  Reach  hither  thy  linger  and  be- 
"  hold  my  hands,  and  reach  hither  thy  hand  and  thrust  it 
"  into  my  side,  and  be  not  faithless,  but  believing." 

Here  I  wish  to  leave  every  distressed  soul;  here  let 
them  stay  until  they  learn  to  put  their  trust  in  Christ. 
I  wish  them  not  to  turn  to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left, 
assured  of  this  one  truth,  that  true  comi'ort  can  be  found 
no  where  else  but  in  the  cross  of  the  dear  Redeemer. 

In  the  third  place :  Let  comfortable  believers  learn  to 
put  their  whole  trust  in  Christ.  What  a  wonderful  thing 
the  gospel  is.  It  probes  the  wound  to  the  bottom,  and 
applies  the  only  remedy ;  it  breaks  the  heart,  and  heals  it. 
If  you  wish  to  be  humble,  study  the  gospel.  If  you  wish 
to  grow  in  sanctification,  look  to  Jesus.  If  you  want  to  be 
thankful,  view  your  privileges.  If  you  want  to  maintain 
your  comfort,  live  upon  the  promises.  If  you  Mant  to 
conquer  Satan,  the  gospel  is  the  only  weapon.  In  short 
learn  every  thing  from  the  cross ;  do  every  thing  by  the 
cross;  and  trust  every  thing  to  the  cross. 

That  cross  has  conquered  Satan,  it  has  conquered  all 
the  idols  of  the  heathen,  and  it  has  conquered  you.  That 
cross  is  tlie  foundation  of  Christ's  kingdom;  it  is  the 


24 

glory  of  his  crown ;  it  is  the  manifestation  of  all  the  di- 
vine perfections;  it  is  the  wonder  of  angels,  the  terror  of 
devils,  and  the  eternal  salvation  of  lost  sinners  who  be- 
lieve in  Christ. 

Again,  I  would  infer  from  what  has  been  said,  that  it 
is  a  dangerous  thing  to  tamper  with  the  law  of  God.  It 
is  death  to  break  it;  and  after  it  is  broken,  it  is  death  to 
be  careless  about  it.  To  try  to  keep  it  is  death.  To  try 
to  make  atonement  for  our  past  transgressions  is  death. 
To  repent  of  our  sins,  with  a  view  to  pacify  justice,  is 
death.  The  only  way  to  escape  is  to  be  totally  delivered 
from  it,  so  as  to  be  under  no  obligations  to  it,  as  a  broken 
covenant,  and  never  look  back  to  it  again.  (Rom.  7.  6.) 
*'  But  now  we  are  delivered  from  the  law,  that  being 
^'  dead  wherein  we  were  held,  that  we  should  serve  in 
**  newness  of  spirit  and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter." 
(Gal.  3.  25.  and  4.  9.)  There  is  no  possible  way  of  ob- 
taining this  deliverance  but  by  faith,  by  receiving  the 
atonement  of  Christ,  by  which  the  law  is  completely  ful- 
lilled  on  our  behalf.  The  law  of  God  ought  not  to  be 
used  any  way  but  in  Christ;  but  in  him.  we  can  learn 
the  most  important  lessons  from  it.  It  teaches  us  our 
guilt  and  misery;  it  directs  us  to  escape  its  vengeance; 
and  having  fled  to  the  cross,  we  satisfy  all  its  demands ; 
and  it  becomes  a  glorious  means  of  sanctification,  an  ex- 
cellent rule  of  life.  Thus  being  in  Christ  Jesus,  there  is 
no  condemnation ;  and  we  walk  not  after  the  flesh  but 
after  the  Spirit.  (Rom.  8.  1.) 

May  God  grant  that  we  may  all  be  taught  of  God  to 
know  and  consider  our  lost  state,  that  we  may  lay  hold 
of  the  gospel,  that  our  souls  may  be  saved  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 


BOOK  II. 

The  eternal  counsel  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  lost  sinners. 
The  doctri?ie  of  election  explained  and  vindicated. 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  gospel  plan  from  eternity. 

Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works  from  eternity. 
T'here  can  nothing  take  place  in  the  whole  universe  that 
is  unknown  to  him,  whose  knowledge  is  infinite.  He 
who  is  unchangeable  can  never  increase  in  knowledge, 
or  alter  in  any  of  his  plans  or  purposes,  by  any  occur- 
rence whatsoever,  even  in  the  minutest  particle  of  mat- 
ter, or  the  least  thought  or  inclination  of  the  mind.  The 
little  sparrow  is  under  his  inspection ;  and  the  very  hairs 
of  our  head  are  all  numbered.  (Psal.  139.  16.)  The 
great  "  I  AM  THAT  I  AM"  is  invariable  and  without 
shadow  of  turning. 

The  fall  of  Adam  was  no  new  thing  to  God;  he  per- 
fectly knew  it  from  eternity,  and  he  was  pleased  to  per- 
mit it,  for  his  own  glory.  "  He  does  as  he  pleases  in  the 
"  armies  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the 
"  earth.  There  is  none  can  stay  his  hand,  or  say  unto 
"  him,  what  dost  thou?" 

The  plan  of  the  gospel  was  laid  in  the  infinite  coun- 
sels of  heaven,  before  ever  the  world  was.  There  is  not 
a  single  blessing  bestowed  upon  a  believer,  but  is  in 
consequence  of  the  eternal  purpose  of  God.  Not  only 
did  God  purpose  to  save  simiers,  but  he  laid  the  whole 
plan  on  which  they  were  to  be  saved,  including  every 
diing  contiiined  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  the  glorious 

D 


26 

surety,  tlie  complete  atonement,  every  particular  person 
to  be  saved,  and  every  thing  to  be  done  for  him,  and  to 
him,  and  every  means  by  Avhich  it  was  to  be  done,  and 
every  operation  of  divine  grace  to  render  those  means 
effectual.  I  expect  to  make  all  this  appear,  before  I  con- 
clude this  part  of  my  treatise.  (Eph.  1.  1 — 14.  2  Thes. 
2.  13,  14.  2  Tim.  1.  9,  10.)  This  view  of  the  gospel 
gives  us  a  grand  idea  of  God.  It  manifests  his  boundless 
love,  the  infinite  riches  of  his  free  grace,  and  his  adorable 
sovereignty.  It  has  a  tendency  to  humble  the  sinner  in 
the  dust,  and  to  touch  every  sense  of  gratitude  in  his 
heart.  This  doctrine  is  calculated  to  inspire  us  with  a 
cheerful  hope,  and  give  a  comfortable  believer  inexpres- 
sible sensations  of  joy.  It  is  impossible  to  support  the 
doctrine  of  free  grace,  but  upon  this  footing.  It  is  im- 
possible to  vindicate  the  doctrine  of  the  perseverance  of 
the  saints  on  any  other  plan.  If  the  doctrine  of  election, 
which  consists  in  God's  eternal  purpose  to  save  sinners, 
be  denied,  it  would  be  impossible  to  vindicate  the  wis- 
dom of  God  in  the  gospel  plan.  The  glory  of  God,  the 
effects  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  the  reward  promised 
him  by  his  father,  and  the  whole  kingdom  of  Christ, 
would  depend  on  the  will  of  the  creature.  The  salvation 
of  sinners  would  be  entirely  uncertain;  and  unless  God 
would  draw  them,  not  one  soul  would  come  to  Christ 
for  salvation.  He  could  not  draw  any  without  an  unal- 
terable and  eternal  purpose  to  do  it;  and  consequently 
the  whole  preparation  of  the  gospel  would  be»in  vain. 
Then  where  would  be  the  wisdom  of  the  gospel  plan? 

It  would  be  in  vain  to  plead  the  foreknowledge  of  God. 
For  if  he  foreknew  that  any  man  would  believe  or  come 
to  Christ,  he  must  also  foreknow  that  he  would  draw 
him,  otherwise  he  would  certainly  know  a  falsehood,  or 
Christ  was  mistaken  when  he  said,  "  no  man  can  come 
"  unto  me  except  the  Father  who  hath  sent  me  draw  him." 


So  that  to  acknowledge  God's  foreknowledge  is  reall) 
giving  up  the  point. 

But   when  we  yield  our  stubborn   minds   to  God's 
sovereignty,  and  acknowledge  the  whole  system  of  the 
gospel  from  first  to  lust,  to  be  according  to  the  eternal 
counsel  of  his  own  will,  it  gives  us  a  most  amazing  dis- 
play of  the  divine   glory,   in  all  the  perfections  of  the 
Deity;  and  the  gospel  becomes  a  most  irrefragable  foun- 
dation of  the  believer's  hoj^e  i.nd  comfort.  Who,  that 
hopes  he  has  an  interest  in  Christ,  can  think  of  this  doc- 
trine without  gratitude  and  pjeasure?  My  soul  feels  itself 
on  its  darling  theme,  and  tiics  faster  than  my  pen  can 
run.  I  fly  in  a  moment  back  to  eternity,  I  see  Christ  the 
second  person  of  the  Trinity,  elected  as  my  covenant 
head;  my  worthless  name  wiiiten  in  his  book;  and  he 
engaging  to  redeem  all  whom  his  Father  gave  unto  him. 
The  price  was  his  own  blood,  and  the  blessing  is  ever- 
lasting life.  I  see  every  thing  well  ordered  and  sure.  I 
commit  my  soul  into  his  hand,  and  have  his  promise  for 
every  thing  I  need.  In  this  confidence,  depending  on  mv 
surety,  for  he  is  all  my  trust,  I  look  with  sovereign  con- 
tempt on  every  thing  that  opposes  my  salvation.  O  what 
an  honour  it  is  to  Christ  for, 

"  A  feeble  saint  to  win  tlic  day, 

"Tho'  dcatli  and  hell  obstruct  the  way." 

I  sincerely  pity  those  who  deny,  or  who  are  afraid  of  this   ' 
important  doctrine.  But  I  must  handle  this  awful  and 
solemn  doctrine  of  election  with  that  calmness  and  gra- 
vity which  becomes  the  dignity  of  the  subject. 

This  doctrine  has  been  exploded  by  many  who  profess 
the  christian  religion;  not  only  by  those  churches  who 
profess  to  do  so  by  their  creeds  and  confessions,  but  also 
by  many  of  our  own  church.  And  by  some  means  it  has 
come  to  pass,  that  it  has  been  considered  as  a  kind  of 
useless  lumber;  and  both  ministers  and  people  have  un- 


^8 

happily  felt  a  disposition  to  waive  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting doctrines  in  the  bible. 

God's  unchangeable  purpose  to  save  is  the  only  en- 
couragement that  a  christian  can  have  to  hope  for  salva- 
tion; and  on  this  also  depends  the  encouragement  of  a 
sinner  to  wait  on  the  means  of  grace.  Were  it  not  for 
this  divine  purpose,  in  vain  would  ministers  preach  and 
the  people  hear.  What  good  would  all  the  preaching  in 
the  world  do,  or  all  the  means  of  grace  whether  public 
or  private,  unless  God  would  render  them  effectual. 
"  Paul  may  plant,  and  Apollos  may  water;  but  God 
"gives  the  increase."  But  how  could  any  hope  for  a 
blessing,  excepting  God  designs  to  give  it;  but  if  an 
unchangeable  God  designs  to  bless,  it  is  an  eternal  de- 
sign. Hence  it  appears  that  the  doctrine  of  election  is 
so  far  from  being  a  dangerous  and  discouraging  doctrine 
that  it  is  truly  the  radical  ground  of  all  the  encourage- 
ment, that  either  saint  or  sinner  can  have. 

A  minister  must  have  great  encouragement  to  preach, 
notwithstanding  all  his  weaknesses,  when  he  knows  not 
how  many  of  his  hearers  God  is  determined  to  save ;  and 
that  the  work  is  his,  and  the  poor  preacher  nothing  but 
the  means;  but  take  away  the  doctrine  of  election,  and 
all  is  gone.  The  poor  sinner  is  to  be  saved  by  grace,  the 
preacher  is  unable  to  give  it,  and  God  has  no  design  to 
do  it,  nor  ever  can  have  any,  because  he  is  unchangeable. 
In  such  circumstances  as  those,  v  ho  could  preach?  or 
who  could  hear?  But  blessed  be  God,  that  he  has  pro- 
vided some  better  things  for  us,  and  consequently  we 
hope  better  things,  and  things  which  accompany  salva- 
tion.  "  Lo  I  am  with  you  to  the  end  of  the  world;"  not 
as  an  idle  spectator,  but  with  an  unchangeable  design  to 
bless  the  gospel.  Paul  at  Corinth  felt  this  encouragement, 
'  be  not  afraid,  but  speak,  and  hold  not  thy  peace,  for  I 
'am  with  thee,  for  I  have  much  people  in  this  place." 


29 

No  wonder  Paul  was  so  greatly  encouraged,  for  he  both 
felt  and  saw  the  happy  effects  of  predestination. 

When  we  talk  of  conditional  election,  conditional  pro- 
mises and  conditional  decrees,  we  jumble  a  bundle  of 
words  together  which  cannot  be  understood.  A  condi- 
tional promise  has  no  obligation,  because  the  obligation 
is  suspended  on  the  condition,  and  therefore  can  be  no 
promise  at  all;  but  only  a  bare  proposal.  A  conditional 
election  or  decree  can  have  no  purpose  in  it,  because  the 
design  is  likewise  suspended  on  the  condition;  and  there- 
fore can  be  nothing  but  a  mere  permission.  "  He  that 
"  believeth  shall  be  saved"  is  neither  a  promise  nor 
decree,  for  it  expresses  neither  an  obligation  nor  yet  a 
design  to  save;  for  they  are  both  held  back  by  the  con- 
dition; and  therefore  is  nothing  but  a  simple  overture. 
When  the  sinner  complies  with  the  condition,  by  be- 
lieving, then  it  becomes  a  promise,  because  a  compliance 
with  the  condition  involves  an  obligation;  but  still  it  is 
not  a  decree  of  election,  but  only  a  circumstance  taken 
place  in  consequence  of  election;  for  you  must  consider 
that  faith  itself  is  a  grace  given  of  God;  (2  Pet.  1.  1.) 
and  the  sinner  never  would  have  performed  the  condition 
had  not  God  given  it  to  him.  "  Unto  you  it  is  given  in 
"the  behalf  of  Christ,  not  only  to  believe,  Sec."  (Phil.  1. 
29.)  But  God  does  nothing  by  chance,  (Act.  15.  18.) 
but  with  an  eternal  unchangeable  design.  (2  Tim.  1.9.) 
Therefore  the  offer  is  made,  and  the  sinner  believes  and 
enjoys  the  promise,  which  is  in  due  time  fulfilled;  and 
the  sinner  is  saved;  but  not  by  a  conditional  promise  or 
a  conditional  election,  nor  yet  "  according  to  his  works ; 
"  but  according  to  God's  own  purpose  and  grace,  which 
"  was  given  him  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began." 

Some  say  that  God  elects  believers  after  they  believe 
and  are  sanctified.  I  have  sometimes  wondered  whether 
those  divines  really  do  tliink  so;  or  whether  they  only 
say  so,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  an  unanswerable  difficultv, 


30 

to  maintain  a  favourite  point.  If  the  latter,  we  need  not 
wonder  that  we  cannot  convince  them,  for  they  are  not 
the  first  who  have  opposed  the  very  testimony  of  the 
bible  and  the  soundest   logical  arguments,  with  down 
right  nonsense  and  absurdity.  But  if  they  know  better, 
we  cannot  have  a  very  high  opinion  of  their  integrity  and 
candour.  But  upon  the  whole,   I  wonder  that  serious 
men  are  not  a  little  afraid  to  oppose  their  own  sentiments 
to  men  inspired  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Luke  the  beloved 
physician  is  of  a  very  different  opinion.  (Acts  13.  48.) 
"  And  as  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life  believed. " 
Saint   Paul   also    differs   widely   from    this    sentiment. 
(Rom.  8.  29.)  "  For  whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did 
**  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son." 
Here,  election  is  evidently  given  as  the  first  cause  of  both 
faith  and  sanctification.   Our  Saviour  tells  his  disciples 
*'  Ye  have  not  chosen  me,  but  I  have  chosen  you,  and 
"  ordained  you."  What  for?  To  be  disciples,  or  to  preach 
the  gospel?  It  is  true  he  did  so;  but  that  is  not  what  he 
alludes  to  here,  but  "  that  ye  should  go  and  bring  forth 
*'  fruit,  and  that  your  fruit  should  remain:  that  whatsoever 
"ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my  name,  he  may  give  it  you." 
(John  15.  16.)  St.  John,  also  gives  his  testimony,  "  We 
"  love  him  because  he  first  loved  us."  Many  such  scrip- 
tures we  could  mention  giving  testimony  on  this  subject, 
showing  that  faith,  love,  sanctification,  and  in  shori  the 
whole  of  our  salvation  is  in  consequence  of  God's  own 
unchangeable  and  eternal  purpose.  I  confess  I  do  feel 
myself  happy,  and  it  is  enough  to  make  any  man  thank- 
ful, to  think  that  he  received  religion  in  consequence  of 
God's  free  gift,  according  to  the  counsel  of  his  own  will. 
But  if  God  chose  me  because  I  chose  him,  if  after  I  be 
lieved  in  Christ  he  chose  me  in  Christ,   if  after  I  was 
sanctified  he  chose  me  to  obtain  salvation  through  sanc- 
tification, whom  would  I  thank,  God  or  myself?  I  must 
surely  thank  him  who  gave  me  the  benefit;  btit  I  believed 


31 

J  lid  was  sanctified  before  God  had  any  design  to  save 
me,  and  I  must  on  this  plan  maintain  my  faith  and  sanc- 
tification,  or  he  will  immediately  alter  his  jjurpose.  1 
must  at  least  divide  my  gratitude,  and  sing  like  the 
daughters  of  Israel,  "  Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands,  and 
*'  David  his  ten  thousands."  But  who  would  venture 
to  establish  such  absurdities?  Nay,  let  me  give  glory  to 
God  only;  for  he  is  the  "  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith, 
"  and  eternal  salvation."  (Heb.  12.  2.  and  5.  9.)  And  let 
me  "  rejoice,  not  because  the  devils  are  subject  to  me, 
"  but  because  mv  name  is  written  in  heaven." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Election  defined^  reprobation  considered  and  some  objections 

answered. 

That  we  may  not  be  perplexed  in  our  ideas  on  this 
subject,  it  is  proper  to  take  notice  of  the  different  kinds 
of  election  mentioned  in  the  bible. 

The  scriptures  reveal  six  different  kinds  of  election, 
viz.  of  Christ,  of  angels,  of  nations  or  tribes,  of  countries 
and  particular  places,  of  particular  persons  for  particular 
offices  or  purposes,  and  of  particular  persons  unto  salva- 
tion. 

1.  Christ,  by  the  eternal  counsel  of  heaven,  was  cho- 
sen and  appointed  as  the  Head  and  Representative  in  the 
covenant  of  redemption ;  to  undertake  in  the  room  of  the 
elect,  to  die  for  them,  to  satisfy  divine  justice  on  their 
behalf,  and  to  carry  on  the  whole  work  of  redemption, 
as  a  Mediator,  and  finally  to  judge  the  world  at  the  last 
day.  (Isai.  42.)  But  of  this  more  by  and  by. 

2.  The  bilDle  gives  us  but  a  short  account  of  the 
angels,  but  wc  clearly  see  it  revealed,  that  the  angels 


32 

who  stood  were  elected,  and  the  rest  were  left  to  fall.  "  I 
"  charge  thee  before  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
"  the  elect  angels."  (1  Tim.  5.  21.)  It  seems  to  be  strongly- 
intimated  that  the  angels  are  in  some  peculiar  manner 
established  in  Christ.  The  apostle  Paul  says  of  whom 
(Jesus  Christ)  the  whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth  is 
named.  (Eph.  3.  15.  also  chap.  1.  10.)  and  all  the  things 
in  heaven  and  in  earth  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him. 
(Col.  1.  16 — 20.)  And  in  chap.  2.  10.  he  is  said  to  be  the 
head  of  all  principality  and  power. 

3.  The  whole  Jewish  nation  was  chosen  as  God's  pe- 
culiar inheritance  or  people.  Seth,  Noah,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  Jacob  and  his  twelve  sons,  and  many  others  were 
families  chosen  of  God  in  preference  to  others. 

4.  The  land  of  Canaan  was  selected  out  of  all  countries 
for  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Israel.  The  inhabi- 
tants thereof  were  devoted  to  destruction  and  slavery  for 
their  wickedness;  which  was  long  before  it  took  place 
intimated  by  the  curse  pronounced  on  Canaan,  Ham's 
youngest  son.  Mount  Moria  was  chosen  for  the  trial  of 
Abraham,  when  he  was  called  to  offer  his  son  Isaac. 
Jerusalem  was  chosen  for  the  temple,  and  for  God  to 
place  his  name  there,  &c. 

5.  David  was  chosen  to  be  king  over  Israel  instead  of 
Saul.  Solomon  was  chosen  to  build  the  temple.  Aaron 
was  chosen  to  the  priesthood.  Pharaoh  was  chosen  to 
show  forth  the  power  of  God;  Cyrus  to  deliver  Israel  out 
of  captivity;  the  apostles  to  be  witnesses  for  Christ,  and 
to  be  employed  as  the  first  preachers  of  the  gospel  under 
the  christian  dispensation;  and  Paul  to  be  the  eminent 
apostle  of  the  gentiles.  All  these  different  elections  are 
acknowledged  by  all.  And  they  all  show  that  God  con- 
ducts his  affairs  in  all  the  dispensations  of  his  providence, 
and  in  the  peculiar  dispensations  of  his  grace,  with 
eminent  exactness,  and  brings  every  thing  about  in  his 
admirable  counsel,  wisdom  and  power,  accor^ling  to  his 


33 

own  will,  and  eternal  purpose.  Can  we  suppose  that  he 
would  leave  the  peculiar  eftects  of  the  gospel  on  the 
souls  of  sinners,  which  is  the  grand  object  of  the  whole 
plan,  in  a  loose,  vague,  and  indigested  state"?  and  a:-.  I 
have  showed  already  in  such  a  state,  as  must  of  course 
defeat  the  whole  plan,  and  not  save  a  single  soul,  for 
want  of  a  divine  purpose;  which  would  forever  prevent 
his  applying  the  gospel  to  any?  However  much  we  may 
differ  from  the  opinions  of  others,  conscious  that  this 
truth  is  clearly  held  forth  in  the  bible,  we  must  say, 

6.  In  the  sixth  place,  that  God,  according  to  his  own 
will,  chose  or  elected  thousands  and  thousands  of  indi- 
viduals among  mankind  from  all  eternity,  to  everlasting 
life.  This  is  the  particular  election  we  are  endeavouring 
to  establish. 

The  bible  holding  forth  this  doctrine  makes  use  of 
several  words,  such  as  elected,  ordained,  predestinated, 
appointed,  called,  given  and  written;  but  election  and 
predestination,  and  especially  the  word  election,  is  most 
in  use  among  divines  when  this  doctrine  is  spoken  of. 

What  I  mean  by  election  is  this,  that  God  the  glorious 
sovereign  of  heaven  and  earth,  in  his  boundless  love, 
wisdom  and  goodness,  according  to  the  determination  of 
his  own  will  from  eternity,  did  purpose  and  determine  to 
save  a  certain  particular  and  defined  numl«er  from  eter- 
nal ruin,  each  individual  known  to  him,  and  particularly 
chosen  with  this  view  from  among  the  rest  of  mankind; 
even  to  bring  them  every  one  without  the  exception  or 
loss  of  one  individual  through  Christ  by  faith,  and  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  the  word  of  truth,  to  eter- 
nal life  and  salvation.  Every  preparation  made  in  the 
gospel,  and  every  mean  to  be  made  use  of,  and  every 
work  performed  by  the  Spirit  in  the  beginning  and  pro- 
cess of  the  business,  from  first  to  last,  are  all  included  in 
this  divine  purpose.  The  rest  of  mankind  are  left  to 
themselves.  That  is  to  say,  God  did  not  from  eternity 

E 


34 

purpose  to  save  them,  or  any  of  them ;  and  consequently 
he  being  unchangeable,  he  never  will  give  them  his  grace, 
to  the  saving  of  their  souls;  but  being  left  to  act  accord- 
ing to  their  own  evil  inclination,  they  will  go  on  in  sin, 
reject  Christ,  and  consequently  be  lost  forever.  This  is 
what  we  commonly  call  reprobation.  The  scripture  in 
speaking  of  the  non-elect  uses  these  phrases,  reprobate, 
blinded,  the  world,  children  of  thy  flesh,  thy  seed  viz.  the 
serpent's,  of  your  father  the  devil,  children  of  the  bond 
woman,  hated,  hardened  vessels  unto  dishonour,  vessels 
of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction,  branches  broken  off,  &c. 

I  suppose  all  the  opposition  that  any  man  feels  or  ever 
has  felt  against  the  doctrine  of  election  arises  from  these 
two  things,  first  a  self  righteous  heart,  or  disposition 
which  the  doctrine  of  election  militates  against  more  than 
any  other  doctrine  in  all  the  bible.  You  may  tell  a  man 
ten  thousand  times,  that  he  is  to  be  saved  by  grace,  and 
not  by  works,  but  such  is  his  natural  disposition  to  ar- 
rogate something  to  himself,  that  he  will  turn  and  twist 
grace  and  works  into  a  thousand  shapes,  and  blend  them 
together  until  he  hammers  out  a  righteousness  that  will 
suit  his  own  feelings;  but  if  he  meets  the  doctrine  of 
election,  he  springs  from  it,  as  he  would  from  a  viper,  or 
he  wards  off  with  the  utmost  caution;  for  such  is  its  na- 
ture, that  on  the  very  first  sight  he  clearly  discovers,  that 
if  it  q;ets  one  stroke  at  him,  it  will  lav  him  in  the  dust. 
Its  frontispiece  is  this,  "  not  of  him  that  willeth  or  of  him 
"  that  runneth,  but  of  God  that  showeth  mercy."  There 
is  no  evasion  here,  the  poor  proud  wretch  must  either 
deny  the  fact,  or  f\ill  down  and  worship  God  as  the  author 
and  finisher  of  faith  and  salvation.  The  proud  heart  will 
not  always  yield,  even  to  the  testimony  of  the  bible; 
yet  he  hates  to  contradict  his  Maker,  for  he  acknow- 
ledges the  bible  to  be  the  word  of  God,  and  no  other  shift 
remains  but  to  deny  that  the  doctrine  is  there  contained. 
Another  reason  why  some  den\'  this*  doctrine  is 
because  the  doctrine  of  reprobation  is  necessarily  con- 


35 

ncctcd  with  it.  They  c;in  l)car  wltli  tla  ihouirht  of -God's 
divine  purpose  to  save,  but  they  cannot  bear  the  thought 
of  his  leaviniij  any  to  perish.  The  man  who  feels  this  ob- 
jection would  rather  have  his  salvation  depcndini^  on  his 
own  choice,  than  run  the  risk  (>f  not  being  elected.  He 
is  deeply  intere.sted  in  the  case,  and  wishes  to  have  a  hand 
in  the  issue.  And  it  must  be  cont'es.sed  that  the  case  of 
the  reprobate  is  awful,  although  it  is  just.  But  this  ob- 
jector does  not  consider  that  if  it  was  left  to  him.self,  as 
he  desires  it  should  be,  he  would  run  on  wilfull\  in  sin 
like  all  the  reprobates  do,  and  never  choose  salvation  at 
last,  which  would  make  his  chance  infinitely  worse  than 
to  run  the  chance  of  election;  for  he  would  not  only  run 
headlong  to  destruction  himself,  but  the  whole  human 
race  would  run  with  him.  The  oi)jector  himself  acknow- 
ledges that  it  is  the  grace  of  God  that  converts  a  sinner, 
or  inclines  him  to  religion;  but  if  God  had  no  purpose 
to  give  that  grace,  hou'  would  th.e  poor  wretch  get  it? 
and  if  it  was  left  to  his  own  choice  to  turn  or  not,  as  he 
wishes  it  to  be,  w  hen  would  he  turn  ? 

So  we  lind  upon  the  \vhole  God's  plan  is  the  best, 
the  safest  and  the  most  p^  opcr  plan.  And  it  is  evident 
that  the  objection  arises  from  an  inveterate  opposition  to 
the  sovereignty  of  God.  "  It  is  hard  (dangerous  and 
"  hurtful)  to  kick  against  the  pricks." 

I  Will  here  just  notice  a  few  of  the  leading  o!)jections 
which  are  generally  brought  for\\  ard  against  the  doctrine 
of  election  and  say  just  a  word  or  two  to  them  here,  re- 
serving a  more  full  refutation  to  a  more  proper  place 
Iiereafter. 

1.  It  is  said  it  encourages  sloth  and  inattention  to  re- 
ligion. But  how  can  this  be,  when  they  are  chosen  of 
God,  to  be  redeemed  from  all  iniquity,  and  to  be  puri- 
fied, and  made  zealous  of  good  works?  And  when  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  is  to  dwell  in  them,  to  animate  them  and 
quicken  them  in  the  things  of  religion.  (Tit.  2.  14.  Rom. 
8.  9—11.) 


36 

2.  It  is  objected  that  on  this  plan  there  is  nothing  left 
for  the  sinners  to  do.  This  is  by  no  means  true,  only  in 
point  of  merit;  and  as  to  the  sinner  doing  any  thing  to 
merit  salvation,  it  is  so  far  from  being  an  objection  that 
it  is  one  of  the  peculiar  excellencies  of  election  that  it 
saves  a  sinnner  by  grace  without  any  merit  of  his  own. 
And  as  to  the  sinner's  doing  his  duty,  God  knew  that  he 
never  would  of  himself,  tlierefore  he  was  determined  to 
bring  him  to  it  by  his  free  grace,  so  that  the  objection  is 
really  in  favour  of  the  doctrine  of  election.  (Rom.  6.  14.) 

3.  It  is  objected  that  this  doctrine  makes  preaching 
and  all  the  means  of  grace  useless;  for  the  elect  will  be 
saved,  and  the  non-elect  will  be  lost  at  any  rate.  This 
objection  is  a  vtry  common  one.  It  is  in  the  mouth  of 
every  objector,  let  him  be  a  wise  man  or  a  fool.  And  no 
wonder,  for  it  is  founded  on  ignorance,  and  is  a  grand 
falsehood;  and  no  man  can  bring  it  forward  until  he  first 
locks  up  what  little  sense  and  honesty  his  Maker  has 
blessed  him  with.  Election  embraces  preaching,  preachers, 
and  all  the  means  of  grace  which  God  has  appointed  to 
accomplish  his  purposes  of  salvation  according  to  his 
eternal  design.  If  God  had  purposed  to  save  without 
preaching,  then  preaching  would  be  vain.  But  seeing 
God  has  ordained  the  gospel  to  be  the  wisdom  of  God 
and  the  power  of  God  to  save  them  that  believe,  I 
know  not  how  any  man,  who  has  sense  enough  to  see 
the  difference  betwixt  light  and  darkness,  can  imagine 
that  preaching,  or  any  of  the  means  of  grace  can  be  in 
vain  in  consequence  of  election.  (1  Cor.  1.  18,  21,  24. 
2  Tim.  3.  16,  17.) 

4.  But  the  greatest  objection  of  all  is,  that  it  is  unjust; 
one  it  is  said  has  as  good  a  right  to  salvation  as  another, 

^.therefore  it  is  not  right  for  God  to  pick  and  cull,  as 
they  say,  for  he  ought  to  use  all  alike.  How  specious  this 
objection  is!  But  the  objector  forgets  that  a  sinner  has 
no  claim  in  justice  for  any  favour,  and  that  all  are  guilty.. 
Can  it  possibly  be  unjust  to  save  a  sinner  if  it  can  be 


37 

clone  consistent  with  law?  Or  can  it  be  unjust  to  punisli 
a  sinner  wlio  deserves  to  die?  On  wliat  principle  do 
those  objectors  discover  the  injustice  of  God's  having 
mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  when  he  might  have 
justly  condemned  all,  had  he  seen  fit?  The  bible  at  any 
rate  says  he  does  so,  and  surely  no  man  will  contradict 
the  ways  of  God,  or  impeach  him  with  injustice.  If  all 
mankind  were  righteous  and  had  a  just  claim  to  the  fa- 
vour of  heaven,  then  it  would  be  unjust  for  God  to  make 
some  happy,  and  some  miserable.  But  when  all  have 
sinned  and  are  justly  liable  to  condemnation,  he  undoubt- 
edly might  have  condemned  all,  had  he  seen  fit.  It  cannot 
be  unjust,  consequently  for  him  to  condemn  as  many  as- 
he  saw  fit.  If  there  is  any  injustice  in  it,  it  is  in  saving 
some  and  not  condemning  all;  but  this  is  not  pretended 
by  the  objectors,  neither  could  it  be.  Those  whom  he 
saves  are  saved  by  a  complete  atonement  for  their  sins. 
Christ  surely  had  a  right  to  die  for  as  many  as  he  pleased. 
No  one  is  obliged  to  be  a  surety.  Christ  could  not  be 
compelled  to  become  a  surety  for  any,  let  alone  for  all. 
But  the  objector  must  cavil  because  he  did  not  engage 
for  all;  and  rejects  the  idea  of  his  voluntary  suretyship 
for  as  many  as  he  saw  proper.  I  have  often  seen  a  peevish 
child  throwing  away  a  part  of  a  piece  of  bread,  because 
it  could  not  get  the  whole,  and  I  have  also  seen  the  honest 
parent  correcting  that  child  for  its  rebellion  and  stiffness. 

I  am  sometimes  tempted  to  think  that  those  who  ob- 
ject to  the  doctrine  of  election  do  it  from  a  disposition 
in  their  hearts  to  cavil  at  the  conduct  of  God.  They  do 
not  like  the  plan;  and  they  pretend,  in  showing  this 
dissatisfaction  to  have  a  great  regard  for  God's  justice 
and  goodness;  when  at  the  same  time,  the\  only  set  up 
their  own  will  in  opposition  to  the  will  of  God;  and  as  I 
observed  before,  in  order  to  do  it  with  some  face,  diey 
have  to  deny  that  the  doctrine  is  in  the  bible. 

But  if  this  doctrine  is  supported  l)y  the  word  of  God, 
as  I  hope  to  prove,  that  man  must  have  a  stout  heart  as 


38 

well  as  a  wicked  one,  or  otherwise  an  ignorant  head, 
who  would  dare  to  bring  forward  his  objections  and 
arguments  against  a  doctrine  of  divine  revelation,  just 
as  if  he  was  disputing  with  a  fallible  creature  like  him- 
self. God  is  not  accountable  to  us.  It  is  our  duty  se- 
riously to  inquire  whether  the  bible  supports  this  doc- 
trine or  not,  and  when  we  find  that  it  does,  we  ought  to 
lay  down  all  our  objections,  as  both  vain  and  impious. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Election  proven  fi'om  particular  doctrines  of  the  Gospel. 

The  data,  or  radical  ground  of  all  the  arguments  to 
prove  the  doctrine  of  election  must  be  taken  from  the 
bible.  Election  being  the  choice  or  determination  of  the 
divine  will  can  only  be  made  known  to  us  by  revelation. 
We  can  easily  see  from  reason  that  God  will  punish  a 
sinner.  But  whether  he  either  can  or  will  save  a  sinner, 
can  only  be  known  by  revelation.  Reason  can  say  nothing 
about  it,  until  some  data  are  given  by  the  bible,  for  us  to 
build  an  argument  upon.  So  that  all  our  proofs  and  de- 
monstrations as  to  the  doctrine  of  election  must  be  either 
directly  or  indirectly  taken  from  the  word  of  God.  But 
when  certain  things  are  proven  by  the  great  authority  of 
God's  word,  then  our  reason  may  be  emplo}  ed,  if  neces- 
sary, to  every  possible  advantage,  in  demonstrating  the 
doctrine  couched  in  the  things  j^roven  by  divine  autho- 
rity. And  if  our  reasonings  do  not  swer-se  from  the  data 
i^iven  in  the  bible,  and  our  conclusions  are  fairly  drawn, 
the  truth  must  certainly  be  found. 

There  are  five  ways  in  which  the  scripture  proves  the 
doctrine  of  election;  I  will  state  each  of  them  in  order, 
so  that  I  hope  the  reader  by  taking  a  view  of  them,  Avith 
candour  and  honesty,  will  see  that  this  doctrine  is  firmly 
established  by  divine  authoritj-. 


39 

rhe  bible  proves  certain  things  A\hicli  when  put  to 
gether  the  infallible  conclusion  must  be,  that  God  iVoni 
eternity  hath  elected  some  toevcjlasting  life;  for  instance, 

1.  Depart  ye  cursed  into  everlasting;  lire.  Matt.  25.  41. 

2.  Come  ye  blessed  oi"  my  Father,  iniierit  the  kingdom, 
8cc.  Matt.  25.  34. 

3.  By  grace  ye  are  saved  through  faith,  and  that  not 
of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God.  It  is  given  you  in  the 
behalf  of  Christ,  not  only  to  believe,  &.C. 

4.  Not  of  works  lest  any  man  should  boast,  for  we  are 
his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
works  which  God  hath  foreordained  that  we  should  walk 
therein.  Eph.  2.  8.  Phil.  1.  29.  Eph.  2.  9,  10. 

5.  I  am  the  Lord,  1  change  not.  Mai.  3.  6. 

6.  With  whom  there  is  no  variableness  nor  shadow 
of  turning.  James  1.  17. 

7.  Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works  from  the  begin 
ning.  Acts  15.    18. 

8.  According  to  the  purpose  of  him  who  worketh  all 
things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will.   Eph.  1.  11. 

These  texts  prove,  that  only  a  part  of  mankind  are 
su\cd;  that  those  who  are  saved,  are  .saved  by  grace;  that 
God  gives  it,  and  that  not  accidentally  but  with  an  un- 
changeable purpose.  Now,  put  these  eight  passages  or 
texts  together  and  think  like  a  reasonable  man,  possessed 
with  candour,  and  willing  to  know  the  truth,  and  you 
will  see  the  doctrine  of  election  deduced  from  them,  as 
the  only  possible  conclusion. 

If  you  say  all  iue  saved,  you  contradict  the  first  text. 
If  \ou  say  none  are  saved,  you  contradict  the  second. 
Therefore  you  must  say,  only  a  part  are  saved.  Now  we 
are  done  with  the  two  first  texts;  they  have  done  their 
part  in  the  argument.  The  next  question  is,  how  is  that 
part  saved?  If  you  say,  not  by  free  grace,  or  not  by  the 
gift  of  God,  you  contradict  the  third  text.  If  you  still 
affirm  that  it  is  by  works,  you  contradict  the  fourth.  So 
you  must  conclude  that  it  is  God  saves  them,  b}"  giving 


40 

them  faith  and  creating  them  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
works.  You  will  here  take  notice  that  there  is  no  dispute  in 
all  this;  we  have  not  come  yet  to  the  disputed  ground.  But, 
by  the  by,  you  have  acknowledged  two  grand  pillars  of 
the  argument,  namely,  some  sinners  only  are  saved,  and 
God  himself  saves  them.  Again,  if  you  were  to  prove 
obstinate  and  say  that  God  gives  his  grace  by  accident 
or  chance,  the  seventh  and  eighth  texts  will  contradict 
you.  You  are  therefore  compelled  by  your  bible  to  ac- 
knowledge that  God,  with  a  divine  purpose  or  design 
gives  that  grace  (even  faith  itself)  to  every  sinner  who  is 
saved,  which  is  necessary  to  salvation.  Now  comes  the 
concluding  point;  when  did  God  take  that  design?  If 
you  suppose  any  given  time  whatsoever,  it  necessarily 
implies  that  God  is  changeable,  that  he  now  has  a  de- 
sign he  never  had  before.  But  this  false  notion  of  God's 
adopting  new  plans  contradicts  the  fifth  and  sixth  texts 
which  I  have  laid  down  as  the  ground  of  my  argument. 
So  that  you  are  obliged  to  go  back  to  eternity  to  find 
God's  purpose  to  save  any  sinner.  So  you  must  leap 
over  one  or  more  of  those  eight  texts,  and  many  others 
of  the  same  nature,  unless  you  draw  the  following  con- 
clusion, which  is  the  only  one  possible  to  be  drawn,  to 
wit,  the  unchangeable  God  from  eternity  did  design  and 
purpose  to  give  grace  unto  every  sinner  who  shall  be 
saved,  freely  without  works  or  merit,  in  order  to  his  sal- 
vation; and  this  is  the  very  doctrine  I  am  establishing. 

Again,  I  must  notice  that  although  those  who  deny 
the  doctrine  of  election  do  profess  to  hold  also  to  the 
doctrine  of  free  grace,  yet  in  this  they  must  inevitably 
contradict  themselves.  Any  favour  bestowed  on  a  sinner 
is  grace.  But  what  we  mean  by  a  sinner's  being  saved 
by  grace,  and  not  by  works,  is,  that  God  gives  salvation 
to  him,  and  the  sinner  does  nothing  to  merit  that  salvation. 
Salvation  consists  in  pardon  and  sanctification.  Pardon 
is  the  gift  of  God,  because  God  only  can  forgive  sin. 
God  forgives  for  the  sake  of  Christ's  righteousness.  H'e 


41 

therefore  nnibt  impute  or  give  that  righteousness,  for  the 
sinner  has  it  not  of  himself,  but  because  God  gives  it,  it 
is  grace.  This  righteousness  is  received  by  faith;  but 
God  gives  faith  also;  and  therefore,  faith  is  also  a  grace. 
Sanctification  is  a  work  of  the  Spirit;  the  Spirit  gives  the 
hoi}-  dispositions  of  love,  repentance  and  obedience ;  there- 
fore sanctification  is  a  grace.  Now,  when  we  say  a  sin- 
ner is  saved  bv  grace,  we  mean  that  God  gives  him  faith, 
pardon,  love,  repentance  and  a  disposition  to  obedience. 
But  we  have  seen  above  that  God  gives  nothing  by 
chance,  or  without  a  purpose,  and  that  he  is  unchangeable, 
and  consequently  eternal  in  his  purposes;  therefore  when 
our  opponents  acknowledge  that  we  are  saved  by  grace, 
they  acknowledge  that  God  gives  faith,  pardon  and  sanc- 
tification; but  their  denying  election  implies  that  he 
gives  without  any  purpose  or  design,  or  that  his  design  is 
temporary  and  not  eternal.  Yet  withal  they  acknowledge 
his  unchangeability. 

What  is  to  hinder  any  person  to  see  how  inconsistent 
it  is,  to  acknowledge  the  unchangeability  of  God,  and  yet 
assert  that  he  gives  complete  salvation  to  a  sinner  without 
an  eternal  purpose  to  do  so?  It  does  not  require  much 
discernment  to  see  that  if  God  never  purposed  to  save  a 
sinner  until  he  believes,  that  his  purpose  must  be  con- 
tingent, or  occasioned  by  the  sinner's  believing.  This 
must  suppose  faith  not  to  be  the  gift  of  God,  nor  yet 
brought  about  by  the  divine  agency;  for  if  God  gives 
faith,  it  requires  an  eternal  purpose,  as  much  as  any 
thing  else.  But  the  scripture  expressly  says  that  God  is 
the  author  of  our  faith,  and  that  it  is  given  on  the  behalf 
of  Christ;  and  our  opponents  acknowledge  that  faith 
itself  is  in  consequence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  enlightening 
our  minds.  But  this  requires  a  divine  purpose.  Now  to 
say  that  this  purpose  is  contingent,  and  yet  to  acknov^■- 
ledge  God's  unchangeability  in  all  his  purposes  and  plans 
is  a  most  palpable  absurdity. 

F 


42 

But  let  us  attend  farther  to  what  the  bible  says. 
I.  God  gives  conviction  of  sin.  John  16.  8,  9. 
2:  God  gives  a  discovery  of  Christ  as  our  only  righ- 
teousness. V.  8,  10. 

3.  God  gives  foith.  Eph.  2.  8.  2  Pet.  1.  1.  Phil.  1.  29. 

4.  God  gives  holiness  in  all  its  branches.  John  16.  8, 
11.  Matt.  12.  20.  Isa.  42.  3,  4.  1  John  4.  19.  Zech.  12. 
10—14.  Ezek.  36.  26,  27. 

5.  In  short,  God  gives  every  thing  necessary  for  the 
salvation  of  the  sinner,  and  grants  constant  supplies  of 
grace,  as  the  sinner  needs,  out  of  his  fulness.  John  15. 
5.  and  14.  19.  and  1.  16. 

Tliese  things  which  I  have  mentioned,  are  supported, 
not  only  by  the  scriptures  which  I  have  quoted,  but  by 
the  current  sentiment  of  the  bible.  Consequently  as 
God  is  the  giver,  he  must  as  we  have  above  demonstrated 
have  an  eternal  and  unchangeable  purpose  to  bestow  every 
part  of  salvation,  on  every  sinner  who  shall  be  saved. 

Surely  every  candid  man,  who  is  willing  to  reason 
fairly,  and  admit  of  doctrines  plainly  held  forth  in  the 
bible,  will  feel  himself  obliged  to  acknowledge  the  eter- 
nal purpose  of  God  to  save  his  people.  It  is  in  vain  to 
evade  the  truth;  the  doctrines  I  have  advanced  are  the 
leading  doctrines  of  divinity,  and  are  too  well  established 
to  be  denied;  and  when  we  admit  them  to  be  true,  we 
must  acknowledge  the  doctrine  of  election. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Positive  proofs  of  Election. 

Let  us  now  consider  those  passages  of  sacred  writ 
which  positively  assert  the  doctrine  of  election,  and  here 
I  hope  my  reader  will  attend  to  the  voice  of  God  in  his 
word,  and  suffer  himself  to  be  convinced;  for  how  can 


we  expect  a  man  to  be  convinced  who  will  not  give  up 
to  divine  testimony. 

1.  1  Thes.  1.  4.  "Knowing  brethren,  beloved,  your 
"  election  of  God."  How  could  Paul  the  inspired  apostle 
express  himself  in  such  strong  language,  if  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  election?  Paul  said  he  knew  their  election, 
because  the  gospel  came  unto  them  not  in  word  only, 
but  also  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much 
assurance.  But  how  could  the  powerful  effects  of  the 
gospel  prove  the  election  of  the  Thessalonians,  if  they 
were  not  elected  to  be  made  the  subjects  of  those  power- 
ful effects? 

2.  Eph.  1.  3,  4,  5,  6.  "Blessed  be  the  God  and 
•'  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us 
'>  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ. 
"According  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him,  before  the 
"  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy,  and 
"  without  blame  before  him  in  love.  Having  predestina- 
"ted  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ 
"  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will, 
"  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  his  grace,  wherein  he  hath 
"made  us  accepted  in  the  l^cloved."  And  in  verse  11. 
"  In  whom  also  we  have  obtained  an  inheritance,  being 
"  predestinated  according  to  the  purpose  of  him  who 
"  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will." 
And  in  chap.  3.  he  says  that  God  created  all  things  in 
Christ,  to  the  intent  that  by  the  church  he  might  make 
known  to  principalities  and  powers  the  manifold,  or  won- 
derful and  unsearchable  wisdom  of  God,  "  according 
"  (verse  11.)  to  the  eternal  purpose  which  he  purposed 
"  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

3.  In  2  Thes.  2.  13.  we  have  another  instance  of  Paul 
the  inspired  apostle  positively  asserting  die  election  of 
the   Thessalonians,  "  but  we  are  bound  tO  give  thank 
"  always  to  God,  for  you  brethren  beloved  of  the  Lord, 
"  because  God  hath  from  the  beginning"  («t  »^x^,<;  in 


44 

John  1.  1,  2.  the  same  Greek  word  is  used  to  signify 
eternity)  "  chosen  you  to  salvation  through  sanctifica- 
"  tion  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth." 

Here  I  must  remark  that  salvation  consists  in  pardon 
and  sanctification.  Justification  gives  us  a  title  to  heaven, 
and  sanctification  prepares  us  for  glory;  hence  Paul,  Rom. 
8.  30.  says  "  whom  he  justified  them  he  also  glorified," 
that  is,  prepares  for  and  takes  to  glory.  If  therefore  jus- 
tification which  is  by  faith  or  belief  of  the  truth,  and 
sanctification  which  is  through  the  Spirit  and  the  word, 
is  what  the  scripture  means  by  salvation,  it  is  truly  ele- 
gant, as  well  as  demonstrative  for  the  apostle  to  say  that 
God  chose  the  christians  in  Thessalonica  from  the  begin- 
ning (or  eternity)  to  obtain  salvation  by  sanctification 
and  faith,  for  God  could  not  choose  them  to  salvation 
any  other  way;  for  nothing  else  could  be  salvation.  So 
that  he  not  only  afl[irms  the  doctrine  of  election,  but  also 
most  beautifully  explains  the  nature  of  salvation,  which 
is  the  grand  design  of  election,  even  sanctification  and 
belief  of  the  truth,  given  by  the  divine  Spirit. 

4.  This  same  apostle  in  Rom.  8.  29.  shows  that  this  is 
the  very  idea  he  had  of  election.  "  Whom  he  did  foreknow 
*'  he  did  also  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image 
"of  his  Son,"  &c.  But  of  this  more  by  and  by,  when  we 
come  to  consider  the  next  mode  of  scripture  proof 

5.  This  is  also  the  very  notion  that  Peter  had  of  election, 
1  Pet.  1.  2.  "  Elect,  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of 
'^  God  the  Father,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  unto 
"  obedience,  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ." 
An  elect  is  one  chosen  out  for  some  particular  purpose. 
Paul  says,  the  purpose  is  salvation  as  you  have  seen 
above,  and  explains  that  salvation  to  be  the  sanctification 
of  the  Spirit,  and  belief  of  the  truth.  Peter  although  he 
omits  the  word  salvation,  yet  he  beautifully  mentions  in 
what  it  consists,  and  he  precisely  agrees  with  his  brother 


45 

Faul,  making  sanctification  and  justification  through 
Christ  the  design  of  election.  He  also  agrees  with  Paul's 
sentiment  in  Rom.  8.  29.  making  Go^'s  foreknow  ledge 
the  foundation  of  election;  and  both  assert  the  truth  of 
the  doctrine. 

The  opposcrs  of  election,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  these 
plain  texts,  are  driven  to  their  shifts  indeed.  They  have 
to  acknowledge  election,  but  they  take  the  liberty  to  ex- 
plain it  away.  They  lay  hold  of  the  explanation  which 
the  apostles  give  of  salvation,  and  say  they  are  elected 
after  they  believe  and  are  sanctified,  for  say  they  '*  it  is 
"  through  sanctification  and  belief  of  the  truth,"  &:c.  This 
explanation  entirely  takes  away  the  beauty  of  those  texts; 
for  after  the  apostles  have  already  told  the  foundation  of 
election,  even  God's  foreknowledge,  this  makes  them 
introduce  another,  to  wit,  sanctification;  then  this  elegant 
explanation  of  salvation  is  lost.  Also  on  this  hypothesis, 
I  would  ask,  what  is  salvation?  The  angel  told  Mary,  to 
save;  or  **  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins,"  but 
to  save  from  sin  is  sanctification;  so  that  to  make  sancti- 
fication the  cause  of  election,  and  to  make  salvation  the 
effect  of  election,  is  to  make  the  cause  and  effect  the 
very  same  thing.  The  texts  say  that  they  were  elected 
to  salvation  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  Christ;  but 
this  explanation  says  that  this  salvation  or  conformity  to 
the  image  of  Christ  is  the  ground  or  cause  of  election; 
and  yet  election,  if  the  apostles  are  true,  is  the  ground  of 
salvation;  salvation  therefore  must  be,  and  must  not  be 
at  the  same  time;  it  must  be,  in  order  to  produce  elec- 
tion; and  it  must  not  be,  that  election  may  have  a  chance 
to  ])roduce  it.  Such  absurdities,  become  Wesley  and 
Fletcher  much  better  than  Paul  and  Peter. 

How  absurd  it  is  to  make  the  effect  the  cause.  The 
word  of  God  evidently  proves  that  faith  and  sanctifica- 
tion are  the  gifts  and  works  of  God.  How  then  can  they 
be  the  ground  of  his  purpose.  Election  is  a  sovereign 


act  of  God's  will.  How  can  sanctificatioii  which  is  a 
work  of  God,  or  faith  which  is  a  gift  of  God  be  the 
ground  of  God's  choice?  They  may  be  the  effect  of  God's 
will,  as  the  apostles  beautifully  explain  them  to  be;  but 
the  cause  they  could  never  be.  The  counsel  of  God's 
own  will  is  the  only  cause  of  election  that  is  ever  men- 
tioned in  scripture. 

6.  The  wise  and  ingenious  apostle  Paul,  as  if  sus- 
picious that  some  such  absurd  construction  would  be 
put  on  those  scriptures,  pointedly  decides  the  whole  dis- 
pute to  his  young  son  Timothy,  (2  Tim.  1.  9.)  a  few 
months  before  he  was  beheaded  at  Rome.  "  Who  hath 
"  saved  us  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  accord- 
*'  to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and 
"  grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the 
"  world  began."  ' 

7.  "  And  as  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life  be- 
"lieved."  Who  ordained  them?  Certainly  none  but  God. 
To  what  did  he  ordain  them?  To  eternal  life.  What  is 
the  first  thing  a  sinner  is  directed  unto,  in  order  to  eter- 
nal life?  To  believe.  What  was  the  effect  of  this  ordina- 
tion at  this  time?  They  believed.  How  came  those  par 
ticular  ones  to  believe,  and  not  any  of  the  rest?  Because 
they  v/ere  ordained,  and  the  rest  were  not.  What  was 
the  consequence  of  their  believing?  Eternal  life.  Acts 
13.  48. 

8.  Rom.  11.  5,  6,  7.  "  Even  so  then  at  this  present 
'^  time  also  there  is  a  remnant  according  to  the  election 
"  of  grace.  And  if  by  grace,  then  it  is  no  more  of 
*'  works,  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace:  but  if  it  be 
"  of  works,  then  it  is  no  more  grace,  otherwise  work  is 
"  no  more  work.  What  then?  Israel  has  not  obtained  that 
"  which  he  seeketh  for.  But  the  election  hath  obtained 
"  it,  and  the  rest  were  blinded." 

I  shall  have  occasion  to  quote  several  other  passages 
of  scripture,  in  the  course  of  my  argumentation;  I  will 


47 

at  prcbcut  let  what  1  have  cited  suffice  as  positive  proofs 
of  this  doctrine.  We  may  take  many  turns,  and  try  to 
explain  away  the  natural  and  evident  sense  of  those  texts 
which  I  have  quoted ;  but  nothing  can  be  more  CA-ident 
if  we  do,  than  that  we  ^\  i^h  to  establish  a  favourite  point 
at  the  expense  of  truth ;  and  that  we  are  under  the  disa- 
greeable necessity  to  remove  those  texts  out  of  the  way; 
and  because  we  cannot  expunge  them,  we  must  some 
how  make  them  say  one  thing  and  mean  another,  to 
keep  them  from  contradicting  us. 

I  grant  it  is  not  natural  to  wish  to  be  wrong  in  our 
opinion,  or  to  believe  that  to  be  true  which  we  know  to 
be  false.  Yet  we  may  have  an  opposition  to  a  thing  and 
]iot  wish  it  to  be  true,  and  an  inclination  to  the  contrary, 
and  wish  it  to  be  true  from  some  sinister  motive.  And 
when  this  is  the  case  we  catch  at  every  argument  that 
leans  towards  the  favourite  sentiment,  and  obstinately 
oppose  every  thing  which  is  in  favour  of  the  opposite. 
'I'hus  we  often  miss  the  truth,  and  hold  to  error  for  want 
of  candour. 

I  would  not  wish  to  indulge  an  ungenerous  idea  of 
any  man.  But  when  a  man  will  go  so  far,  as  to  face 
down  the  express  declarations  of  the  divine  oracles,  and 
to  indulge  himself  in  perverting  the  natural  sense  of  the 
bible,  I  must  be  pardoned  if  it  is  a  fault  to  think  him 
really  uncandid.  Surely  if  any  man  of  sense,  who  is  ca- 
pable of  seeing  an  argument  when  it  is  laid  before  him, 
^vho  can  believe  a  thing  to  be  so  when  he  finds  sufficient 
reason  or  divine  authority  on  which  to  found  his  belief, 
after  he  takes  an  honest  review  of  what  is  evidently  con- 
tained in  those  passages  of  God's  word  quoted  in  this 
chapter,  and  considers  the  grand  and  aw  ful  authority  of 
the  inspired  apostles  who  saw  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  yet  denies  the 
doctrine  of  election,  he  is  and  certainly  must  be  what 


48 

we  call  an  original  genius,  and  that  in  the  highest  sense  of 
the  words; 

"  Ac  ne  forte  roges  quo  me  duce,  quo  lare  tuter: 

"  Nullius  addictus  jurare  in  verba  magistri, 

"  Quo  me  cunque  rapit  tempestas,  deferor  hospes."  Hor. 

But  I  would  counsel  all  such  persons  to  put  on  a  little 
more  of  the  humble  spirit  of  Christ,  and  join  with  him 
in  his  hour  of  rejoicing,  and  say  with  the  cordial  surren- 
der of  their  will,  "  Father  I  thank  thee,  because  thou  hast 
"  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast 
'*  revealed  them  unto  babes.  Even  so  Father,  for  so  it 
"  seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  Mat.  11.  25,  26.  and  Luke 
10.  21. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  beautiful  chain  and  order  of  election,  foreknow - 
ledge,  ^c. 

We  come  now  in  the  third  place  to  consider  another 
way  in  which  the  bible  proves  the  doctrine  of  election; 
namely,  not  only  in  roundly  asserting  the  doctrine,  but 
also  by  laying  down  the  several  steps,  in  a  beautiful 
order,  which  God  has  pleased  to  take  in  bringing  his 
divine  purpose  to  effect. 

I  will  confine  myself  in  this  inquiry  principally  to  the 
grand  account  which  we  have  recorded  in  the  eighth 
chapter  of  Paul's  epistle  to  the  Romans  beginning  wiih 
the  29th  verse,  "  For  whom  he  did  foreknow  he  also  did 
"  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son, 
"  that  he  might  be  the  first  born  among  many  brethren. 
"  Moreover  whom  he  did  predestinate,  them  he  also 
"called,  and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified,  and 
"whom  he  justified,  them  he  also  glorified." 

Here  we  are  presented  with  a  beautiful  chain  consist- 


49 

ing  of  five  links.  TKe  first  is,  Foreknowledge.  2.  Prcdes- 
tination.  3.  Calling.  4.  Justification.  5.  Glorification. 

1.  Foreknowledge.  Knowledge  is  that  by  which  we 
perceive  tilings  to  be  as  they  are  or  have  been.  Fore- 
knowledge is  that  by  which  we  perceive  things  as  they 
will  be  hereafter. 

All  who  deny  the  doctrine  of  election  think  this  is 
what  the  apostle  means  by  the  word  foreknowledge,  in 
this  and  similar  texts;  to  wit,  God's  perfectly  perceiving 
what  will  be  in  future  exactly  as  they  will  be.  And 
many  among  common  christians  who  hold  to  election 
think  the  same.  I  am  not  much  disposed  to  cavil  with 
them  on  this  point,  for  certainly  that  idea  is  taken  in. 
Our  opposers  have  so  little  apprehension  of  danger  hi 
their  opinion  of  God's  foreknowledge,  that  they  on  all 
hands  acknowledge  it  without  any  hesitiition.  But  it  is 
really  a  very  impolitic  step  if  they  could  avoid  taking  it. 
If  I  wished  to  deny  election,  I  would  certainly  deny  this 
also,  if  I  could;  and  I  am  certain  there  is  as  much  diffi- 
culty in  proving  God's  foreknowledge  as  his  election; 
for  the  one  is  expressed  as  plainly  as  the  other,  and  both 
as  plain  as  A.  B.  C.  And  I  do  wonder  that  when  they 
have  heart  enough  to  deny  the  one,  they  do  not  deny  the 
other  also;  for  thoy  may  rest  assured  they  will  both  stand 
or  fall  together. 

If  God  foreknows  that  a  man  will  be  saved,  he  must 
of  course  foreknow  that  he  will  believe  and  repent ;  for 
he  never  did,  nor  ever  could  foreknow  the  one  without 
the  other;  he  knows  that  faith  and  repentance  are  his 
gifts,  therefore  he  must  foreknow  that  he  would  give 
them  to  this  very  man,  before  he  could  be  saved,  for  the 
bible  says  he  must  be  damned  without  them;  but  he 
could  not  give  faith  and  repentance  without  a  design  or 
purpose  to  do  so;  and  this  purpose  must  be  eternal,  be- 
cause God  cannot  change.  So  you  see  election,  or  an 

G 


50 

eternal  purpose,  absolutely  follows  in  consequence  of 
God's  foreknowledge,  in  matters  of  salvation. 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  God's  foreknow- 
ing things  in  which  he  has  no  immediate  hand  in  bring- 
ing to  pass,  and  his  knowing  that  will  be  which  depends 
on  his  own  agency;  it  is  beyond  our  skill  to  perceive 
how  he  knows  the  former,  (perhaps  from  the  principles 
of  moral  necessity)  but  we  are  sure  as  to  the  latter,  that 
he  cannot  know  a  thing  will  be  done  that  he  has  to  do 
himself,  unless  he  intends  to  do  it;  for  without  that  it 
never  would  or  could  be  done.  The  bible  abundantly 
proves  that  God  himself  is  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  a 
man's  salvation,  as  we  have  already  proven,  and  it  abun- 
dantly proves  also,  that  God  knows  every  man  who  will 
be  saved;  consequently  every  text  in  the  bible,  that 
proves  this,  proves  also  that  he  intends  to  save  every 
man  that  he  knows  will  be  saved.  The  point  must  un- 
avoidably be  given  up  by  our  opponents  here;  they  must 
really  acknowledge  election,  or  deny  God's  foreknow- 
ledge. 

If  you  take  the  foreknowledge  mentioned  in  this  text, 
in  this  sense,  even  to  include  and  necessarily  imply  a 
divine  purpose,  I  will  perfectly  agree  with  you,  for  that 
is  the  identical  meaning  of  the  apostle.  In  Eph.  1.  5. 
Paul  founds  predestination  on  "  the  good  pleasure  of 
"  God's  will;"  so  that  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,  and 
his  foreknowledge  is  the  same  thing.  Our  blessed  Saviour 
says,  "even  so  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight." 
God's  foreknowledge  is  generally  called  love  or  appro- 
bation. It  is  difficult  to  express  our  ideas  on  the  sub- 
ject; and  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  always  to  vSpeak 
accurately  on  such  an  exceeding  nice  subject;  and  al- 
though the  scriptures  evidently  distinguish  betwixt  fore- 
knowledge and  predestination  yet  it  is  not  easy  to  catch 
the  two  ideas,  so  as  clearly  to  distinguish  them;  and 
ivhen  we  c  me  to  a  definition,  the  subject  is  *so  sublime 


51 

that  our  language  can  hardly  get  hold  of  it.  Wc  have  to 
content  ourselves  at  last  with  common  phrases  such  as 
these:  God  chose  out  of  love.  Out  of  his  mere  good 
pleasure  he  elected  sonu-  to  everlasting  life.  He  ordained 
us  in  his  sovereign  will.  Because  he  saw  fit.  He  hath 
determined  tosave  us,  &c.  Each  of  these  expressions  are 
very  agreeable  to  scripture,  and  very  honouring  to  God, 
and  perfectly  consistent  with  the  doctrine  of  free  grace. 
And  this  is  the  common  way  in  which  christians  ex- 
press themselves  when  they  speak  on  this  most  exalted 
subject.  By  these  phrases:  Out  of  love,  Mere  good 
pleasure.  Sovereign  will,  Saw  fit,  they  mean  exactly 
what  the  apostles  meant  by  foreknowledge ;  and  by  these 
words:  Chose,  Elected,  Ordained,  Determined,  they 
mean  predestination.  But  we  scarcely  ever  hear  them 
mention  foreknowledge  for  this  plain  reason,  their  hearts 
cannot  admit,  that  what  they  commonly  understand  by 
it,  is  or  can  be  the  ground  of  their  salvation ;  what  they 
understand  by  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  is  just  his 
perception  of  things  future,  like  Peter  when  he  said 
"Lord  thou  knowest  all  things."  The  heart  of  a  chris- 
tian let  him  be  ever  so  poor,  weak  and  disconsolate,  can- 
not sink  so  low,  as  to  introduce  his  glorious  God  and 
Father,  as  a  mere  spectator  in  the  great  matters  of  his 
salvation.  No,  the  idea  is  too  groveling;  God  must  have 
the  work  to  do,  and  a  special  purpose;  and  particularly 
he  must  give  Him  all  the  glory ;  therefore  the  word  fore- 
knowledge will  not  answer  their  purjiose.  He  must  say 
Love,  Everlasting  love.  Good  will.  His  own  good  plea- 
sure. His  eternal  purpose.  The  counsels  of  eternity, 
Free  grace,  and  a  number  of  such  sublime  and  exalted 
expressions;  not  knowing  at  the  same  time,  that  he  is  just 
explaining  and  feeling  exactly  what  the  apostle  means  by 
the  word  foreknowledge. 

And  even  if  this  serious  christian  was  one  of  the 
strictest  of  the  methodist  persuasion  he  will  do  the  very 


52 

same.  I  have  conversed  with  several  of  them,  and  have 
noticed  with  no  little  pleasure  how  the  exercise  and 
feelings  of  true  religion  would  betray  the  unsuspicious 
man  into  a  clear  and  thankful  acknowledgment  of  the 
very  spirit  of  the  doctrine  of  election  without  suspecting 
it;  ascribing  all  to  free  grace,  and  trusting  to  God  for 
salvation.  But  if  I  would  only  introduce  a  dispute  with 
him  on  the  subject,  he  would  alter  his  tone  immediately, 
and  nothing  would  be  said  by  him,  any  thing  like  elec- 
tion, except  the  acknowledgment  of  God's  foreknow- 
ledge; and  then  he  would  make  no  difference  betwixt 
God's  foreknowledge  of  the  salvation  of  his  dear  people, 
and  his  foreknowledge  of  a  sparrow,  a  worm,  or  a  snail; 
although  the  inspired  apostles  made  it  the  very  ground 
of  the  whole  plan  of  the  gospel.  This  is  certainly  the 
consequence  of  a  great  absence  of  mind;  but  when  I 
consider  who  I  am  conversing  with,  I  do  not  expect 
logical  accuracy,  and  it  is  so  far  from  being  disgusting, 
that  it  is  often  really  entertaining.  It  is  indeed  enough  to 
make  a  cheerful  man  smile,  to  see  how  easily  the  heart 
felt  exercise  of  true  religion  can  make  a  man's  wise  heart 
contradict  his  block-head. 

The  Greek  word  ei^ew  signifies  to  perceive  with  the 
natural  understanding  or  perception  of  the  mind,  and  is- 
used  so  in  scripture;  hence  Peter  says,  <ru  TravTat  oiiAg 
"thou  knowest  all  things."  (John  21.  17.)  It  also  signi- 
fies to  perceive  with  the  natural  eyes,  as  in  verse  21. 
"  Peter  seeing  him"  &c.  But  the  word  yivuffKu  although 
it  is  sometimes  used  in  the  same  sense,  yet  it  has  a 
stronger  meaning,  and  this  word  with  the  preposition 
TTOfi  is  the  word  used  to  signify  foreknowledge,  and  it 
implies  a  special  connexion  with,  or  relation  to  the  object 
perceived.  For  instance,  when  I  see  or  think  of  a  rock,  a 
tree,  my  neighbour's  farm  or  famih^,  my  understanding 
only  is  employed,  and  my  knowledge  of  them  is  merely 
speculative.  But  when  I  perceive  or  turn  my  attention 


5:5 

It)  my  own  property,  or  any  thing  with  an  intention  to 
make  it  my  own,  I  Icel  that  my  knowledge  goes  far  be- 
yond  a  mere  spe'culation. 

Now  this  is  the  kind  of  knowledge  which  is  meant  by 
the  word  yivwiTKu;  and  this  gives  a  most  beantiful  idea  to 
what  our  Saviour  said  to  the  Jews,  John  10.  14.  "  I 
**  know  my  sheep,  and  am  known  of  mine." 

Christ  is  here  distinguisliing  his  circumstances  from 
the  hireling.  "  The  hireling  (said  he  v.  12.)  whose  own 
"  the  sheep  are  not  (v.  i  3. )  fleeth  because  he  is  an  hireling 
"  and  careth  not  for  the  sheep."  Then  he  notes  the  dis- 
tinction betwixt  the  hireling  who  had  no  property  in  the 
sheep,  and  himself,  the  good  Shepherd,  by  saying  "  I 
"know  (yjvwo-jcw)  my  sheep  and  am  known  [yivuffKOfxai)  of 
"  mine."  That  is,  I  have  a  peculiar  property  by  my  own 
free  choice  in  my  sheep,  and  by  my  care  of  them  through 
my  influence  on  their  hearts,  I  bring  them  freely  to 
choose  me  as  their  shepherd,  ^s  a  further  demonstra- 
tion of  this  matter  he  goes  farther  and  says,  (v.  15.)  "  As 
"  the  Father  knoweih  me  (yivuxry.n  as  the  Father  hath 
chosen  or  set  his  mind  on  me  to  take  care  of  the  sheep 
whom  he  hath  given  me,  v.  29.)  even  so  know  I  the 
Father,  (and  as  I  freely  acquiesce  in  my  father's  will.) 
And  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep,  (I  even  lay  down 
my  life  for  my  sheep.  That  is,  in  as  much  as  my 
Father  hath  chosen  and  appointed  me  to  this  business, 
and  as  I  have  acquiesced  in  his  will,  I  am  so  far  from 
deserting  my  important  charge  when  danger  approaches 
(like  the  hireling)  that  I  lay  down  my  very  life  to  ran- 
som my  sheep  from  danger. 

Surely  any  person  by  attending  to  the  passage,  must 
be  convinced  that  these  are  the  very  ideas  which  oi^r 
Saviour  gave;  and  it  is  impossible  to  read  it  \^ithout 
knowing,  and  feeling  the  sense  of  the  word  yivwffKu;  and 
that  sense  of  the  word  makes  the  passage  so  exceedingly 


54 

sublime,  interesting  and  beautiful,  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  read  it  without  strong  sensations  in  our  hearts. 

But  how  flat  and  insipid  it  makes  this  most  sublime 
passage  to  make  this  word  mean  nothing  but  a  mere 
natural  knowledge ;  and  it  takes  away  not  only  the  beauty, 
but  also  the  force  and  sense  of  the  passage.  In  that  low 
insipid  sense,  the  hireling  would  know  the  sheep  as  well 
as  the  shepherd;  and  Christ  knows  the  devil  and  the 
goats  as  well  as  his  sheep.  And  what  argument  could  it 
be  for  Christ  to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  sheep,  because 
the  Father  knew  him  and  he  knew  the  Father.  But  let 
yivwa-KU)  mean  perhaps  choice,  attachment  or  approbation, 
as  I  have  explained  above,  and  your  mind  will  be  struck 
with  the  beauty  and  force  of  the  passage  immediately. 

In  Eph.  1.  5.  St.  Paul  evidently  founds  predestination 
on  the  good  pleasure  of  the  will  of  God.  Therefore  by 
comparing  that  with  Rom.  8.  29.  we  see  that  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  will  is  the  very  same  thing  as  foreknow- 
ledge, for  they  are  both  made  the  foundation  of  predes- 
tination. 

In  Rom.  11.  2 — 7.  Paul  makes  the  foreknowledge  of 
God  to  be  an  active  principle,  and  the  very  cause  of  the 
remnant  of  Israel  being  saved.  V.  2.  "  God  hath  not  cast 
*'away  his  people  whom  he  foreknew."  Not  whom  he 
knew  before  would  be  saved,  but  whom  it  was  his  good 
pleasure  to  save;  for  he  introduces  Elias  as  complaining 
to  God  of  the  total  declension  of  Israel,  and  God  (v.  4.) 
answering  "  I  have  reserved  seven  thousand  &c."  Here 
is  evidently  a  purpose.  Then  he  infers  (v.  5.)  "even  so 
"  then,  or  therefore,  at  this  present  time  also  there  is  a 
"  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace."  Then  he 
observes  (v.  7.)  that  although  as  a  nation  Israel  hath  not 
obtained  mercy  yet  the  election  hath  obtained  it,  that  is, 
the  remnant  which  God  foreknew,  and  had  reserved  ac- 
cording to  a  free  and  gracious  election  did  obtain  that 
grace  to  which  God  had  appointed  them;  and  the  rest 


whom  God  did  not  foreknow,  were  blinded.  This  makt^ 
foreknowledge  to  be  the  original  cansc  of  the  salvation 
of  the  remnant  of  Israel,  and  consequently  means  the 
purpose  or  counsel  of  the  will  of  God. 

Again.  Those  who  deny  particular  election  to  salva- 
tion, acknowledge  that  Christ  was  elected  to  suffer  as  a 
Saviour.  But  Peter  says  (Acts  2.  23. )  that  he  was  brought 
to  those  sufferings  by  the  foreknowledge  of  God.  Then, 
with  what  face  can  they  deny  that  sinners  are  brought  to 
salvation  by  God's  foreknowledge,  when  Paul  asserts  the 
one,  as  roundly  as  Peter  does  the  other? 

Upon  the  whole,  God's  foreknowledge  is  the  first  link 
in  the  grand  scheme  of  the  gospel,  and  by  comparing 
those  texts  together  which  I  have  done,  we  find  that  it 
means  not  what  we  commonly  understand  by  knowing  a 
thing  before  it  comes  to  pass,  but  God  actually  choosing 
or  fixing  upon  the  objects  of  his  love,  with  a  gracious 
design  to  appoint  them  "  to  obtain  salvation  by  Christ." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Predestination. 

Predestination  is  the  second  link  in  the  order  of 
election.  Predestination  is  the  immediate  effect  of  fore- 
knowledge. It  is  the  result  of  the  counsel  of  the  divine 
will.  It  embraces  the  end,  or  the  particular  design  for 
which  the  choice  is  made.  This  is  evident  from  the  ety- 
mology of  the  word;  for  both  the  English  word  predes- 
tinate, and  the  Greek  word  ir^ou^Kn  signify  to  set  apart 
before  hand  for  some  particular  end  or  purpose;  and  this 
is  the  view  the  apostle  always  took  of  it.  "  He  did  also 
*'  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son. 
"Having  predestinated  us  to  the  adoption  of  children 
"  Jn  whom  also  we  have  obtained  an  inheritance,  being 


56 

"predestinated,  Sec.  that  we  should  be  to  the  praise  of 
"  his  glory." 

The  apostle  in  this  chain  or  order,  particularly  men 
tions  the  end  in  view  in  predestination,  viz.  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  Christ.  Holiness  is  the  image  ol 
Christ.  To  be  conformed  to  his  image,  is  to  be  sanctified ; 
and  this  end  is  obtained  as  the  apostle  Paul  says,  "  by 
"  the  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth;" 
and  as  St.  Peter  says,  "  through  sanctification  of  the 
*'  Spirit  unto  obedience,  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of 
"  Jesus  Christ. 

How  absurd  are  those  sentiments  which  make  liiith 
and  repentance,  and  holiness  to  precede  election,  v/hen 
the  order  mentioned  by  the  apostle  evidently  makes 
them  all  the  consequence  of  it.  It  is  truly  astonishing 
what  shifts  a  man  will  take  to  maintain  his  favourite  sen- 
timent. Those  persons  who  espouse  those  sentiments 
find  the  doctrine  of  election  too  well  established  to  be 
totally  denied,  and  in  order  to  stride  over  such  positive 
proofs  the  best  way  they  can,  they  will  acknowledge  an 
election  lest  they  should  be  thought  barefacedly  to  con- 
tradict the  bible.  But  what  kind  of  an  election  is  it? 
Even  this,  that  God  elects  a  sinner  to  salvation  after  he- 
believes,  repents  and  turns  to  God.  This  is  indeed  a 
great  compliment  they  pay- to  their  Maker!  But  it  is  u 
far  greater  to  the  penitent  sinner.  But  it  is  none  at  all  to 
the  apostle  Paul.  It  compliments  the  Divine  Being  by 
giving  him  the  honour  to  approve  of  the  diligence  of  the 
sinner,  and  of  becoming  mild  and  very  good  in  taking  a 
notion  to  save  him  now,  seeing  he  is  likely  to  do  pretty 
well,  so  that  God  will  now  be  his  friend,  and  even  take  him 
to  heaven,  provided  he  will  do  as  well  for  the  future,  as  he 
has  done.  But  the  sinner  is  complimented  with  the  ho- 
nour of  being  the  cause  of  his  own  election;  and  also  to 
cause  the  purpose  of  God  towards  him,  to  stand.  But 
Paul   is  contradicted   as  one  who  deserves   no  credit. 


57 

and  his  beautiful  order  is  turned  exactly  wrong  end 
foremost. 

Paul's  plan  or  order  is,  first  God's  purpose  or  the 
counsel  of  his  will,  then  the  ways  and  means  to  bring  it 
to  pass,  to  wit,  calling,  justifying,  and  glorifying;  but 
this  plan  is  first  the  sinner  adopting  or  taking  a  design  to 
be  saved,  and  attending  to  the  calls  of  the  gospel,  in 
order  to  eifect  his  purpose;  then  after  he  has  made  some 
proficiency,  God  takes  a  notion  and  chooses  the  sinner  to 
salvation,  &c.  They  also  introduce  the  divine  Being  as 
choosing  by  sanctification  and  laith.  This  is  truly  a  very 
logical  way  of  choosing!  Paul  introduces  the  divine  So- 
vereign as  choosing  by  an  act  of  his  will,  which  is  indeed, 
the  common  way  in  which  rational  beings  choose.  They 
make  sinner's  choice  first,  and  God's  choice  subsequent 
to  theirs!  Paul  makes  God's  choice  first,  and  to  originate 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  even  from  eternity 
(ccTT  oc^x*^-)'  ♦^"^i  the  sinner's  choice  as  a  consequence  of 
God's  eternal  purpose.  They  make  the  sinner's  faith  and 
repentance  the  motives  of  God's  choice !  Paul  makes  the 
motives  all  to  originate  in  God  himself,  and  calls  it  the 
good  pleasure  of  his  will,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his 
grace ;  and  herein  he  agrees  with  our  Lord  himself,  who 
says  "  even  so  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy 
sight;"  and  indeed  what  is  it  on  this  subject,  in  which 
they  do  not  evidently  contradict  the  apostle? 

But  if  it  is  not  agreed  to  let  the  bible  decide  which 
plan  is  best,  and  looks  the  most  plausible;  let  us  con- 
sider that  God  is  unchangeable  in  all  his  purposes,  and 
must  have  the  whole  scheme  of  salvation  in  one  eternal 
view  before  him ;  and  let  us  consider  that  the  sinner  is 
poor,  dependent,  and  wicked  in  every  imagination  of  his 
heart,  and  not  disposed  to  think  one  good  thought,  if  left 
to  himself;  and  on  these  hypotheses  which  are  given  up 
on  all  hands,  let  us  appeal  to  reason  and  common  sense, 
whether  Paul  or  his  opponents  arc  right.  Surely  Paid; 

H 


58 

for  he  humbles  the  sinner,  and  exalts  God,  in  the  bound- 
less riches  of  his  grace,  and  represents  the  great  Saviour 
as  acting  on  a  system  construcied  on  the  basis  of  infinite 
wisdom,  and  unchangeable  perfection. 

If  I  could  catch  my  opponent  in  a  serious  and  an  honest 
hour,  admitting  him  to  be  well  acquainted  with  his  own 
heart,  and  with  the  genuine  exercises  of  true  grace,  I 
could  almost  submit  the  decision  of  the  question  to  the 
dictates  of  his  own  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God.  I 
would  ask,  when  God  saves  a  sinner,  yea   when  God 
began  the  salvation  of  your  own  soul,  did  W  i  ur 

plan,  or  Paul's?  How  can  a  serious  rr  .tat 

God  chose  him  because  of  any  thin*  r;  ? 

Does  not  his  own  heart  know,  und  fct.     ..      .....  t^.„..\  ciiid 

thonghtle=^.!y  he  !lvrd^>Vnt?!  God  met  him' with  his  divine 
powc^  .rgy  rouse  him,  or  he  would 

hay-e  :  viid  even  to  this- very  dayvis  he 

hot  as  v.v..,v  -to  ,,  ..;;ly  as' he  is  assisted  by  olivine 
orace f  I  Mrt  dfeiifident.'tHere '  is-  ftC»t  a'  true  christian  on 
earih  but  must  know  these  things  to  be  true,  ler  him 
profess  what  he  will.  Then  why  should  he,  or  how  can 
lie  deny  the  doctrine  of  election,  which  is  the  very  cause 
of  his  salvation?  For  if  an  unchangeable  God  had  not 
purposed  to  grant  those  divine  impressions  to  him,  he 
never  would  or  could  have  received  them. 

I  once  in  a  familiar  chat  with  a  methodist  preacher, 
asked  him  in  a  style  usual  to  me,  how  he  happened  to 
get  religion "?  He  said,  God  gave  it  to  me.  Ay !  said  I, 
and  when  did  he  happen  to  take  that  notion  ?  O !  said  he, 
he  intended  to  do  it  from  eternity.  From  eternity,  said 
I  ?  Yes,  he  replied,  I  believe  if  he  had  not  designed  from 
eternity  to  give  me  grace,  I  never  would  have  got  it.  I 
then  in  a  sprightly  manner  observed,  that  that  was  my 
very  doctrine  of  election.  Is  it?  said  he.  Yes.  Do  you 
expect  to  get  to  heaven?  I  hope  so,  said  he.  What  makes 
j'ou  hope  so,  said  I?  He  answered  because* God  by  his 
grace  will  help  me  on,  according  as  he  has  promised. 


59 

And  did  God  from  eternity  design  not  only  to  give  yon 
grace  at  first,  but  also  to  go  on  to  give  you  grace  until 
he  takes  yoti  to  heaven?  Yes  certainly,  said  he.  Now 
said  r,  that  is  exactly  my  doctrine  of  perseverance;  and 
you  are  as  strong  a  calviuist  as  I  am. 

Would  my  reader  believe  that  this  man  denied  elec- 
tion the  very  next  sentence  he  spoke*?  But  nevertheless, 
if  men  will  think  and  speak  inconsistencies,  God  will 
still  go  on  according  to  his  own  infinitely  wise  plan,  in 
the  exact  order  which  he  has  prescribed  in  his  divine 
and  unchangeable  counsel;  which  plan  and  order  he  has 
made  known  by  the  apostle  in  the  passage  now  under 
consideration. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Effectual  calling,  Justification  and  Glorijicatiou, 

We  now  come  to  the  third  particular  mentioned  in 
©rder,  viz.  Calling,  (v.  30.)  "  Moreover,  whom  he  did 
*' predestinate,  them  he  also  called."  This  link  in  the 
chain,  or  order  of  election,  embraces  all  the  variety  of 
means  which  God  has  appointed,  and  which  are  taken 
into  view  in  this  doctrine,  in  order  to  bring  about  the 
great  end  to  which  God  has  predestinated  his  people. 
Which  evidently  proves  that  there  is  a  divine  purpose 
to  bring  all  to  salvation,  who  ever  will  be  made  the  happy 
subjects  of  the  grace  of  the  gospel;  and  that  all  those 
who  are  chosen  of  God  will  be  brought  to  salvation  at  a 
proper  time,  and  by  proper  means,  all  which  are  inclu- 
ded in  the  eternal  counsel  of  God.  « 

There  are  \.\\o  things  hereby  proven  and  made  mani- 
fest: 1.  That  means  are  far  from  being  unnecessary 
in  consequence  of  this  doctrine.  That  they  are  perfectly 
established  by  it;  and  that  it  would  be  impossible,  on 
tlie  plan  of  election,  for  God  to  Ipring  to  pass  M'hat  he 
has  purposed  without  them ;  ajid  therefore  the  apostle  in- 


60 

troduces  the  means  in  connexion  with  the  influences  of 
the  Spirit  to  accompany  them,  in  the  third  hnk  of  the 
chain.  The  word,  called.,  inchides  both  the  outward  and 
inward  call;  for  it  is  abundantly  evident  from  the  bible 
that  God  calls  his  people  both  by  the  outward  means 
(Rom.  10,  14 — 17  )  and  by  the  imvard  power  of  his 
Spirit;  (1  Cor.  1.  24.  John  16.  8 — 11.)  and  it  ordinarily 
requires  both  to  accomplish  the  end.  2.  It  is  also  evident 
that  election  does  not  infringe  upon  free  agency,  for  the 
means  which  God  has  appointed  are  calculated  to  per- 
suade sinners,  not  to  force  them ;  and  even  the  influences 
of  the  Spirit  are  by  no  means  compulsory,  but  persua- 
sive ;  for  the  Spirit  only  brings  the  truths  of  the  word 
home  to  the  heart.  Ho^vever  strong  the  argument  is,  and 
however  morally  impossible  it  may  be  for  the  sinner  to 
withstand,  yet  it  never  can  infringe  on  the  liberty  of  the 
will.  "  Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy 
^' power." 

Thus  God  in  his  infinite  wisdom  has  concerted  his 
plan  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  encroach  upon  the  na- 
tural liberty  of  his  people,  and  ye^t  by  his  divine  illumi- 
nation attending  the  means  of  grace,  to  secure  the  great 
end  which  he  from  eternity  purposed  to  accomplish. 

It  is  a  common  observation  that  God  can  work  without 
means,  or  even  against  means.  I  acknowledge  that  God 
is  not  tied  to  means  so  to  speak,  unless  he  is  pleased  to 
tie  himself;  and  I  could  wish  that  divines  would  use 
such  expressions  with  caution.  If  God  has  purposed  to 
save  sinners  by  the  means  of  the  gospel  he  cannot  save 
them  without  it,  unless  he  breaks  through  his  own  de- 
sign. This  he  never  will  do,  nor  can  do,  without  chang- 
ing; but  God  cannot  change. 

Consequently  those  who  assert  that  election  destroys 
the  use  of  means,  when  it  is  the  very  thing  that  renders 
means  necessary,  evidently  show  either  great  weakness 
or  great  wickedness ;  and  those  who  think  tlie  heathens 


61 

can  be  saved  without  the  gospel  have  more  charity  than 
good  sense.  When  we  assert  things,  we  should  take  care 
not  to  go  contrary  to  the  gospel  plan,  which  is  to  save 
sinners  through  the  use  of  the  means;  which  is  the  third 
link  in  the  order  of  election. 

Therefore,  when  God  is  about  to  save  a  sinner,  he 
effectually  calls  him  by  the  gospel.  The  sinner  believes, 
and  is  thereby  interested  in  Christ,  and  consequently 
freely  justified  through  his  spotless  righteousness.  This  is 
the  fourth  link  in  the  apostle's  chain,  or  gospel  order. 

"  Whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified."  Justifica- 
tion is  a  grand  prerequisite  to  holiness.  It  consists  in  the 
divine  pardon  and  acceptance.  The  justified  sinner  is 
delivered  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  is  by  Christ  en- 
titled to  all  the  benefits  of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

"Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God 
*'  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Glory  will  follow  as 
a  necessary  consequence. 

Glory  is  the  ultimate  end  of  predestination.  It  is  the 
image  of  Christ,  and  the  last  particular  mentioned  by  the 
apostle.  It  consists  in  two  things,  holiness  in  heart  and 
life,  and  eternal  happiness  and  glory  in  heaven.  Holiness 
is  called  glory  in  several  places  in  the  bible;  "we  all 
"  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God."  Ho- 
liness is  God's  glory,  and  when  we  sin  we  come  short  of 
glory,  and  debase  ourselves.  "  Who  hath  called  us  to 
"  glory  and  virtue,"  i.  e.  holiness  and  christian  fortitude 
in  the  things  of  religion.  "  Beholding  as  in  a  glass  the 
"  glory  of  the  Lord,  we  are  changed  into  the  same 
"  image,  from  glory  to  glory."  As  holiness  is  glory,  and 
as  God  by  sanctification  gives  holiness,  therefore  God 
certainly  glorifies  those  whom  he  sanctifies ;  that  is  to  say, 
he  gives  them  glory,  or  makes  them  glorious  by  enstamp- 
ing  his  image  upon  them.  Moreover,  by  sanctification 
he  prepares  them  for  glory.  It  would  be  impossible  for 
God  to  glorify  an  unsanctified  sinner. 


^2 

Finally  he  takes  them  to  heaven,  and  there  he  glorifiesv 
them  forever.  There  they  are  completely  holy,  and  ho- 
noured with  his  glorious  presence,  world  without  end. 

We  have  now  taken  a  particular  view  of  that  beautiful 
order  stated  by  the  apostle;  and  what  is  it?  It  is  that  line 
of  procedure  which  God  in  his  infinitely  wise  and  un- 
changeable counsel  for  his  own  glory  has  prescribed  to 
himself.   The  apostle  seems  greatly  taken  up  in  it;  how 
he  exults  and  triumphs.  He  challenges  the  universe  and 
all  the  powers  of  hell,  to  separate  the  elect  from  God.  Cer- 
tainly we  must  yield  to  such  evidence  as  this.  Sometimes 
we  may  be  mistaken  in  the  meaning  of  words,  but  there 
can  be  no  mistake  when  a  whole  plot  or  plan  is  laid 
before  us  in  a  most  beautiful  order,    beginning  at  the 
original  or  moving  principle,  and  proceeding  regularly 
step  by  step,  making  one  thing  depend  on  another  from 
first  to  last,  and  proceeding  with  incomparable  wisdom ; 
every  step  so  necessary  that  not  one  of  them  can  be 
spared  without  defeating  the  whole,  and  at  the  same  time 
so  well  chosen  that  every  part  answers  the  purpose  in- 
tended and  insures   the  grand  object,  when  the  whole 
is  taken  together,  with  infallible  certainty;  this  plan  be- 
gins with  the  eternal  purpose  of  God's  own  will,  and  ends 
in  the  eternal  glory  of  poor  lost  sinners.  How  is  it  possible 
to  mistake  the  evidence  here?  And  is  there  no  such  thing 
as  election  after  all?  Was  Paul  deceived?  Was  it  all  just 
the  sallies  of  his  frantic  brain?  Does  he  intend  to  estab- 
lish no  such  doctrine?  Was  he  just  trying  what  his  own 
genius  could  do,  by  way  of  a  learned  experiment?  Could 
all  the  wisdom  of  men  and  angels  have  contrived,  or 
even  thought  of  such  a  plan?  If  it  is  true,  will  it  not 
completely  save  the  very  vilest  sinner?  If  it  is  false,  or 
even  one  link  of  it  false,  will  it  not  defeat  the  whole  gos- 
pel, and  effectually  overthrow  every  hope  of  the  believer? 
Which  of  the  parts  in  this  gospel  plan  can  be  spared? 
Not  his  foreknowledge,  whether  it  means  a  mere  natural 


63 

knowledge,  or  a  divine  purpose.  A  sinner  could  not  be 
s;ived,  and  God  not  know  it..  Certainly  he  must  know 
every  thing  about  the  w  hole  business.  He  must  know 
his  own  purpose.  And  a  purpose  he  must  have,  if  he  has 
grace  to  give,  if  he  has  the  understanding  to  enlighten, 
if  he  has  faith  to  give,  and  sins  to  pardon,  the  heart  to 
change,  the  soul  to  sanctify,  and  enemies  to  conquer,  &c. 
This  must  certainly  require  some  purpose;  and  it  must 
be  uncliiingeable,  and  consequently  an  eternal  purpose. 
God  does  not  work  blindly,  without  knowing  any  thing, 
or  intending  an}  thing.  The  saving  of  a  lost  sinner  is  too 
nice,  critical  and  important,  to  be  done  by  a  blind  deity 
who  has  no  plan  to  work  by,  or  purpose  to  work  at  all. 
We  consequently  find  God's  foreknowledge  eaimot  be 
spared  and  the  sinner  saved.  Can  predestination  be  spared? 
By  no  means.  Predestination  is  the  very  resolution  of 
the  divine  will  to  save  a  sinner;  and  it  calls  up  the  great 
end  to  view,  and  lays  the  whole  work  before  the  di^  int 
mind.  Can  calling  be  spared?  Not  at  all,  for  that  includes 
the  w  hole  means,  both  public  and  private,  to  be  made 
use  of  to  bring  about  God's  purj^ose;  in  order  to  bring- 
to  salvation  the  Spirit  works  by  the  word,  so  that  neither 
the  w  ord  nor  the  Spirit's  power  could  possibly  be  dis- 
pensed with.  Justification  must  take  place,  or  the  sinner 
would  be  damned  at  last;  and  sanctification  must  prepare 
the  sinner  for  heaven.  Take  any  one  part  a^vay,  and  the 
sinner  is  undone;  but  with  them  all,  O  what  a  complete 
salvation,  founded  on  infallible  prhiciples! 

Reader,  according  to  the  notions  of  my  opponents 
this  is  the  doctrine  which  came  from  hell.  It  destrovs 
the  soul.  It  renders  all  the  means  of  grace  useless.  It 
destroys  love,  holiness  and  every  thing  that  is  good,  and 
does  every  thing  that  is  bad.  Let  it  come  from  where  it 
will,  the  inspired  apostle  Paul  was  one  of  the  means  of 
bringing  it.  What  sort  of  a  hell  was  it,  in  which  the  doc- 
trine of  election  originated?  It  must  be  a  very  wise  hell. 


64 

a  sovereign  hell,  a  powerful  hell  and  a  good  hell.  For 
we  never  heard,  or  read  of  a  wiser,  more  sovereign,  more 
powerful  or  more  merciful  plan  taking  place  in  ail  the 
records  of  heaven.  The  abstracted  plan  of  the  creation 
was  a  comparative  trirle  to  it.  When  I  take  a  view  of 
God  creating  the  world  by  his  power,  I  see  nothing  biit 
what  I  expect  a  God  could  do;  but  when  I  see  such  a 
plan  as  this,  to  save  a  lost  sinner,  I  am  lost  in  astonish- 
ment in  a  moment.  I  pity  a  poor  honest  fai-mer  who  per- 
haps has  never  made  doctrinal  divinity  much  his  study, 
when  he  is  misled  by  others  into  a  disbelief  of  this  doc- 
trine. But  I  confess  ;t  does  stretch  my  charity  consi- 
derably, to  excuse  a  man  of  sense  and  study  for  denying 
a  doctrine  which  can  so  easily  be  supported  by  divine 
authority  from  so  many  passages  in  the  bible.  Such 
a  man  may  think  as  he  pleases  for  me,  and  he  must 
think  as  he  pleases;  but  while  he  thinks  as  he  does,  I 
will  have  the  happiness  to  have  the  inspired  apostle  on 
my  side,  to  contradict  his  sentiments,  and  assert  the 
glorious  doctrine  of  election. 

There  is  danger  sometimes  of  proving  too  well;  but 
such  a  most  interesting  doctrine  as  this,  and  so  much  ex- 
ploded, can  never  be  too  well  proven.  Although  I  have 
already  abundantly  established  this  great  truth,  by  the 
three  modes  of  proof  I  have  taken  into  view,  yet  I  must 
now  call  my  reader's  attention  to  some  other  things  men- 
tioned in  the  bible,  as  another  class  of  evidence,  to  es- 
tablish this  important  point. 


65 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Several  texts  considered^  the  substances  of  xvh'tch  plavjy 
teach  the  doctrine  of  election. 

There  are  many  texts  and  passages  in  scripture 
proving  certain  things,  which  cannot  be  true  unless  the 
doctrine  of  election  be  true.  I  will  mention  a  few  of 
them. 

Gen.  3.  15.  "  I  will  put  enmity  betwixt  thee  and  the 
*' woman,  and  betwixt  thy  seed  and  her  seed."  This 
text  proves  three  things;  that  the  woman  shall  have  seed, 
that  the  serpent  shall  have  seed,  and  there  shall  be  en- 
mity betwixt  them. 

All  agree  that  the  woman's  seed  is  Christ,  and  that 
some  of  the  children  of  Adam  are  counted  as  his  seed. 
"  He  shall  see  his  seed,  he  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his 
"soul  and  be  satisfied."  I'hese  are  called  the  seed:  the 
children  of  Abraham,  the  children  of  promise,  the 
children  of  God,  and  the  children  of  the  kingdom.  But 
who  are  the  serpent's  seed"?  Not  young  serpents  nor 
devils;  but  non-elected  men.  Christ  calls  those  who  shall 
finally  be  lost,  represented  by  the  tares,  "  the  children 
"  of  the  wicked  one ;"  and  of  the  Jews  who  were  blinded, 
and  devoted  to  destruction,  and  who  Paul,  in  the  11th 
chapter  to  the  Romans,  says,  were  not  saved  by  the  elec- 
tion; Christ  says,  "  ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil;"  and  he 
calls  them  "  serpents,  a  generation  of  vipers."  Those 
who  will  be  lost  are  consequently  the  seed  of  the  serpent, 
and  not  of  the  woman ;  and  those  who  will  be  saved  are 
the  seed  of  the  woman  united  to  Christ  as  his  spiritual 
seed,  and  not  the  seed  of  the  serpent. 

Enmity  is  perhaps  the  greatest  opposition  that  \\e 
have  any  idea  of,  and  there  is  steady  and  uniform  enmits 
held  forth  in  scripture,  subsisting  betwixt  the  seed  oi 

I 


66 

the  serpent,  and  the  seed  of  the  woman,  in  every  in- 
stance in  which  the  two  classes  are  introduced  as  the 
subject  of  history.  And  we  find  that  God  proceeded  on 
the  plan  of  election  from  the  fall  of  Adam,  and  that  the 
very  first  promulgation  of  the  gospel  contains,  and  was 
actually  founded  on  this  very  doctrine. 

When  we  attend  to  the  history  of  the  bible,  giving  an 
account  of  the  divine  procedure  according  to  the  gospel 
plan,  we  find  that  he  uniformly  proceeded  on  the  very 
principles  which  he  established  in  the  hearing  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  when  he  gave  that  wonderful  epitome  of  the 
gospel.  If  we  find  it  so,  must  we  not  acknowledge  that 
the  gospel  is  founded  on  God's  eternal  purpose  of  elec- 
tion? Let  us  however  examine  some  of  the  most  re- 
markable passages. 

We  cannot  read  the  account  of  Cain  and  Abel,  without 
having  the  idea  of  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  the  seed 
of  the  serpent  painted  before  us.  It  is  evident  that  God 
took  care  of  Abel,  gave  him  faith,  and  he  consequently 
gained  acceptance  with  the  Lord;  while  Cain  was  left 
to  wander  as  a  vagabond  and  an  outcast  from  his  pre- 
sence. It  is  surely  remarkable,  and  a  corroborating  testi- 
mony of  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  of  election,  that  the 
two  first  children  of  Adam  were  marked  as  an  instance 
of  God's  sovereignty,  the  one  the  seed  of  the  woman, 
and  the  other  the  seed  of  the  serpent. 

Abel  is  called  righteous,  (Matt.  23.  3.5.)  and  he  ob- 
tained witness  by  his  excellent  offering,  that  he  was 
righteous;  (Heb.  11.  4.)  and  St.  John  says  that  he  lost 
his  life  because  his  works  were  righteous.  (1  John  3.  12.) 
But  Cain  is  ranked  among  the  serpents  and  generation 
of  vipers  who  were  inveterate  in  their  enmity  against  the 
prophets,  and  Christ  and  his  apostles,  and  is  mentioned 
-as  the  first  persecutor,  who  had  shed  his  brother's  blood, 
which  cried  for  vengeance,  with  the  blood  of  all  the 


67 

l)rophets,  against  the  devoted  nation  of  the  Jews.  (Matt 
23.  33—35.) 

Although  Moses  is  very  short  in  liis  history  of  this 
awful  transaction,  yet  he  does  not  omit  to  mark  particu- 
larly how  Cain  walked  in  the  steps  of  his  father,  the  devil. 
"  He  rosCup  against  his  brother  and  slew  him."  The 
devil  is  a  murderer  from  the  beginning.  "  Where  is  thy 
"  brother  Abel?  and  he  said  I  know  not."  This  was  a 
grand  falsehood.  The  devil  is  a  liar,  and  the  father  of  it. 
To  this  also  St.  John  bears  testimony.  (1  John  3.  10 — 12.) 
In  this  the  children  of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  "  chil- 
"*  of  the  devil,"  the  woman's  seed  and  the  serpent's  seed. 
He  goes  on  directing  them  to  love  one  another,  "  not  as 
"  Cain,  (says  he)  who  is  of  that  wicked  one,"  &:c.  who 
is  of  the  serpent. 

What  awful  enmity  is  in  Cain,  that  child  of  the  devil, 
against  Abel,  the  seed  of  the  woman.  "  I  will  put  enmity 
"  betwixt  thee  and  the  woman,  and  betwixt  thy  seed  and 
"  her  seed." 

All  degrees  of  opposition  or  enmity  arise  from  some 
difference  in  circumstances,  and  to  this  must  be  traced 
all  degrees  of  enmity,  in  all  opposite  parties  whatsoever. 
It  is  not  natural  for  any  man  to  have  enmity  against 
himself;  his  interest  does  not  clash;  he  is  not  the  subject 
of  variant  circumstances  at  one  and  the  same  time.  But 
the  circumstances  of  different  persons  may,  and  often  do 
vary  and  clash,  and  very  frequently  produce  enmity;  and 
there  are  some  different  circumstances  which  never  fail 
to  produce  opposition. 

We  find  all  over  the  world,  that  nothing  has  caused 
more  opposition  and  enmity  than  the  gospel,  not  so 
much  in  those  who  were  truly  religious,  but  in  the 
wicked  world  against  them  and  the  gospel.  The  enmity 
is  in  the  serpent  against  the  woman,  and  in  his  seed 
against  hers.  The  reason  why  the  gospel  has  produced 
such  awful  enmity,  spite,  malice  and  bloodshed,  is  be- 


68 

cause  nothing  ever  did,  or  ever  can  put  such  a  great  dif- 
ference in  circumstances  betwixt  different  parties,  as 
religion  (I  mean  true  religion)  does  betwixt  those  who 
are  the  subjects  of  it,  and  those  who  are  not.  One  king 
mav  reie-n  over  one  nation,  and  another  over  another; 
and  a  thousand  different  circumstances  may  subsist  be- 
twixt different  persons  which  are  of  a  worldly  nature. 
But  for  one  man  to  be  an  heir  of  heaven  and  another  an 
heir  of  hell,  for  one  to  be  a  child  of  God  and  another  a 
child  of  Satan,  for  one  to  be  righteous  and  the  other 
to  be  guilty,  for  one  to  be  holy  and  to  love  holiness  and 
hate  sin  and  the  otlier  to  be  unholy  and  hate  holiness 
and  love  sin,  produces  a  difference  as  wide  as  can  possibly 
be  in  this  world;  and  infinitely  more  important  and  in- 
teresting than  any  worldly  circumstances  can  be. 

Hence  it  -is,  that  although  kings  and  emperors  have 
waged  war,  and  made  great  devastation  to  acquire  do- 
minion, or  to  revenge  a  petty  insult,  yet  even  those  wars 
were  not  carried  on  with  rancour  and  malice,  against  all 
ranks  and  degrees.  They  could  fight,  and  fight  hard  too, 
in  the  field  of  battle,  but  not  out  of  mere  thirst  for  hu- 
man blood.  But  see  the  bloody  persecuting  Jews  and 
Romans,  in  the  midst  of  havoc  and  slaughter,  ready  to 
devour  every  one  they  could  lay  their  hands  on,  who 
would  profess  the  name  of  Jesus.  It  is  truly  shocking  to 
read  of  the  awful  enmity  that  has  been  in  innumerable 
instances  exhibited  against  Christ  and  his  people. 

Now  what  is  all  this  but  the  serpent  and  the  woman, 
Cain  and  Abel,  tjie  seed  of  the  serpent,  and  the  seed  of 
the  woman. 

Nothing  can  be  more  different  than  holiness  and  sin, 
happiness  and  misery,  salvation  and  damnation.  This  is 
what  makes  the  difference  betwixt  angels  and  devils; 
good  men  and  bad;  the  seed  of  the  woman  and  the 
seed  of  the  serpent. 


69 

Pagans  never  fought  about  their  religion.  The  hea 
then  world  cared  not  ^vhat  god,  or  how  many,  any  nation 
worshipped,  or  how  they  worshipped  them.  The  devil 
had  no  spite  against  idol  worship,  and  consequently  there 
was  no  enmity  betwixt  one  worshipper  and  another. 
This  was  the  case  as  to  every  nation  except  the  Jews, 
and  the}'  were  the  ver}^  butt  of  the  malice  of  all  around 
them;  and  God  had  to  preserve  them  by  his  almighty 
power,  or  they  would  soon  have  been  devoured.  Although 
Satan  could  bear  with  every  other  kind  of  worship,  yet 
he  must  bend  his  spite  against  the  church  of  God;  and 
his  children  must  ^o  so  too,  for  the  enmity  is  not  only 
in  the  serpent,  but  also  in  his  seed.  And  when  Christ 
the  promised  seed  of  the  woman  came  into  the  world  to 
set  up  his  kingdom  on  gospel  principles,  both  Jews  and 
gentiles  were  up  in  arms  against  him  and  his  peaceable 
followers.  Although  they  did  no  harm  to  any  around 
them,  yet  they  are  chased  from  city  to  city,  and  from 
country  to  country. 

Although  the  chief  priests  and  the  Cesars  of  Rome 
could  suffer  the  worshippers  of  gods  by  hundreds  to  pay 
their  adoration  in  peace ;  yet  none  must  bow  to  the  name 
of  Jesus  without  being  in  danger  of  death.  What  better 
reason  can  be  given  for  all  this,  than  because  there  is 
enmity  betwixt  the  serpent  and  the  woman,  and  betwixt 
his  seed  and  her  seed.  And  can  such  facts  as  these  take 
place  without  the  doctrine  of  election. 

Now  God  cannot  be  the  immediate  author  of  spite  and 
malice  ;  yet  these  are  the  exercises  of  that  very  enmity 
which  subsists  betwixt  the  seed  of  the  serpent  and  the 
seed  of  the  woman.  But  the  question  is,  how  did  God 
put  it  there?  as  he  really  did;  "  I  will  put  enmity  betwixt 
"  thee  and  the  woman,"  &c. 

It  is  not  doing  justice  to  this  important  text  to  say, 
that  God  merely  permits  it.  This  would  not  only  be  flat 
and  insipid,  but  it  is  not  the  true  meaning.   God  is  here 


70 

for  the  first  time  proclaiming  the  gospel,  telling  the  ser- 
pent in  the  hearing  of  Adam  and  Eve,  what  he  meant  to 
do  to  save  sinners;  and  he  is  pronouncing  the  curse  upon 
the  serpent.  To  speak  of  mere  permission  in  such  a  case 
would  be  truly  ridiculous,  when  the  eternal  salvation  of 
the  soul  depended  on  it.  It  is  certainly  against  the  prin- 
ciples of  free  grace,  as  has  been  observed  before,  to  in- 
troduce God  as  a  mere  spectator,  where  his  own  glory 
and  the  soul  of  a  sinner  are  at  stake.  The  important  ques- 
tion therefore  returns,  to  which  I  answer,  that  it  was 
possible  for  God  if  he  saw  fit,  in  the  plan  of  the  gospel, 
to  make  the  circumstances  of  the  devil  very  different 
from  the  circumstances  of  Eve;  and  if  he  saw  fit,  he  by 
giving  a  number  of  Adam's  posterity  to  Christ,  who  in 
the  scheme  of  the  gospel  was  to  be  the  seed  of  the 
woman,  could  make  a  wide  difference  between  the  rem- 
nant left  in  his  sovereignty,  as  the  seed  of  the  serpent, 
and  those  chosen  out  to  be  Christ's  spiritual  seed.  Not 
only  so,  but  in  reclaiming  his  chosen  ones,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  give  them  faith;  and  in  his  sovereignty  he  could 
leave  the  others  without  faith;  moreover  he  must  change 
and  sanctify  the  hearts  of  the  one,  and  not  of  the  other. 
These  things  God  could  do  consistent  with  all  his  divine 
perfections;  and  what  is  the  consequence?  It  is  unavoid- 
ably this :  Satan  made  an  instrument  of  Eve,  to  induce 
Adam  as  a  covenant  head  to  break  covenant  with  God, 
by  which  he  reduced  that  happy  family  to  a  state  of 
misery.  But  God  says,  Satan,  I  will  make  use  of  this 
very  woman,  weak  as  you  found  her  to  be,  to  bring  for- 
ward another  covenant  head.  I  will  give  Adam  and  her, 
and  a  number  of  their  posterity,  to  this  glorious  head, 
whom  she  shall  bring  forth  as  her  seed,  who  shall  be 
counted  the  seed  whom  he  shall  see  as  the  travail  of  his 
soul.  You  shall  be  left  in  your  cursed  state;  they  shall 
be  saved  from  it.  I  will  unite  them  to  Christ,  and  they 
shall  come  to  him;  but  you  and  your  seed*  shall  be  passed 


71 

by,  and  be  left  to  perish.  1  will  sanctify  their  souls  by 
the  seed  of  this  woman,  and  bring  them  back  to  their 
first  state  of  holiness  again.  But  you  and  your  seed  shall 
forever  be  outcasts  from  my  presence.  He  shall  break 
your  head,  and  thou  shalt  only  bruise  his  heel.  He  and 
his  shall  only  suffer  a  temporary  and  slight  consequence 
of  their  fall;  but  you  shall  be  completely  ruined  forever. 
If  ever  there  was,  or  will  be  difference  of  circumstances 
calculated  to  beget  opposition,  these  must  be  acknow- 
ledged to  be  so.  And' this  is  the  only  way  in  which  God 
did  put  enmity  betwixt  the  serpent  and  the  woman,  and 
betwixt  his  seed  and  her  seed. 

God  by  his  sovereign  will  and  good  pleasure  was 
pleased  to  pass  by  the  fallen  angels  and  choose  men  to 
be  the  objects  of  his  boundless  mercy ;  and  by  the  same 
exercise  of  sovereignty,  he  "was  pleased  to  save  but  a 
part  of  the  human  race.  And  he  was  pleased  to  take 
such  ways  to  manifest  his  mercy  and  sovereignty  as  he 
saw  fit;  therefore  he  saw  fit  to  put  a  difference  betwixt 
fallen  angels  and  mankind,  and  betwixt  those  of  mankind 
whom  he  was  pleased  to  choose,  and  the  rest  of  the  race 
of  Adam;  and  inasmuch  as  he  was  pleased  to  choose 
Adam  and  Eve,  it  was  very  necessary  that  he  should  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  divine  plan  make  known  his  pur- 
pose immediately  after  the  fall.  Hence  we  find  to  our 
great  astonishment,  that  the  gospel  was  first  proclaimed 
in  the  hearing  of  Adam  and  Eve,  who  were  no  doubt 
looking  for  a  curse  every  moment.  But  instead  of  a  curse 
upon  them  as  they  expected,  they  found  to  their  great 
surprise,  that  the  curse  was  levelled  against  the  serpent, 
their  grand  enemy ;  and  but  a  part  of  their  race  included 
in  this  curse ;  and  that  they  and  the  chosen  part  of  their 
race  were  still  the  objects  of  God's  care  and  everlasting 
love;  and  the  curse  as  to  them  was  only  pronounced 
upon  their  temporalities,  the  ground,  their  bodies,  in 
temporary  afflictions  while  they  lived  here,  consisting  in 


72 

hard  laborious  tillage,  and  sorrowful  child-bearing.  And 
that  the  woman  whom  the  serpent  beguiled,  and  on 
whom  Adam  laid  the  whole  blame  of  his  fall,  the  serpent 
found  to'be  the  ruin  of  his  whole  plan;  and  Adam  found 
her  to  be  the  channel  of  his  salvation. 

Now  I  will  submit  it  to  the  judgment  of  any  man  of 
candour,  whether  I  have  not  given  a  scriptural  explana- 
tion of  this  most  important  passage  of  holy  writ;  and  let 
any  man  think  whether  the  very  first  account  which  the 
world  ever  heard  of  the  gospel  plan,  was  not  founded  on 
the  doctrine  of  election.  I  must  conclude  this  chapter  in 
the  words  of  the  inspired  apostle  on  this  very  subject. 
"  O  the  depth  of  the  riches,  both  of  the  wisdom  and 
"  knowledge  of  God,  for  of  him,  and  through  him,  and 
"  to  him  are  all  things.  To  whom  be  glory  forever, 
"Amen."*  (Rom.  11.  33,  34,  35,  36.) 

*  I  have  thought  strange  that  some  divines  have  attempted  to  give 
the  reason  why  God  chose  to  save  fallen  men,  and  not  fallen  angels. 
God  has  given  us  no  reason  for  it.  He.  is  not  accountable  to  us;  and  we 
have  no  reason  to  believe  that  there  ever  was  any  reason  for  it,  but 
only  his  own  good  will.  Why  did  God  choose  Jacob  and  not  Esau  ?  we 
can  give  no  reason,  because  there  is  none  to  give,  unless  we  give  the 
reason  our  Saviour  gave  in  a  similar  case:  "  Even  so  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  Why  should  we  s\ippose  that  God  had  any 
inducement  in  the  one  case  more  than  the  other?  And  the  reasons 
they  with  so  much  humility  give,  seem  to  be  no  great  compliment  to 
the  doctrine  of  free  grace.  "  We  did  not  fall  so  inexcusably  as  they; 
"  our  temptation  was  greater  than  theirs  ;  they  fell  out  of  heaven,  we 
"  only  out  of  paradise;  when  the  angels  fell  they  left  vacant  seats,  men 
•^'were  chosen  to  fill  them  up,"  Sec.  I  can  see  no  reason  in  all  these 
things.  God  does  not  choose  the  best  among  men;  and  why  should 
he  choose  man  before  angels,  if  angels  Avere  the  worst,  when  his  very 
design  was  to  magnify  the  riches  of  his  free  grace?  We  had  belter 
be  contented  with  God's  sovereignty  (and  not  feed  our  own  vanity) 
until  God  is  pleased  to  give  us  a  better  reason,  if  he  has  or  could 
have  a  better  one;  and  we  for  the  present  may  rest  assured,  when- 
ever we  find  the  true  reason,  it  will  not  feed  our  pride,  or  extenuate 
our  faults;  but  rather  glorify  the  boundless  mercy  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus. 


/.4 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Same  other  iristanrcs  from  texts  proving  the  dactrine  of 

election. 

Having  been  so  lengthy  on  the  passages  quoted  in  the 
last  chapter,  I  shall  briefl}'  touch  at  a  few  more  which 
speak  of  the  choice  of  Gocl  in  his  divine  sovereignty 
amongst  mankind.  Noah's  family  and  the  whole  world 
is  a  remarkable  circumstance.  The  calling  of  Abraham, 
the  choice  of  Isaac  before  Ishmael,  of  Jacob  before  Esau, 
the  distinction  betwixt  the  children  of  Israel  and  the 
Egyptians,  the  Canaanites  and  Babylonians,  and  at  last 
the  gentiles  being  taken  in,  and  the  Jews  cast  off,  are  all 
among  the  peculiar  instances  given  us  in  the  bible,  of 
God's  sovereign  dispensations  of  grace  to  whom,  and  in 
what  manner  he  pleased.  I  will  not  wait  to  comment  on 
any  of  these  plans;  but  just  obser\'e,  that  to  me  it  ap- 
pears impossible  to  look  seriously  at  every  circumstance, 
that  these  things  ever  would,  or  could  have  been,  with- 
out a  special  purpose  of  God  toward  his  elect  in  the 
whole  business  from  first  to  last. 

The  next  thing  which  I  shall  notice  is  what  is  pro- 
mised to  Christ  as  a  mediator.  I  believe  no  one  disputes 
but  that  Christ  was  elected.  (Isa.  42.  1.)  "  Behold  my 
"  servant  whom  I  uphold,  mine  elect  in  whom  my  soul 
•'  delighteth,"  and  also  (1  Pet.  2.  6.)  "Behold  Ilay  in 
•'  Zion  a  chief  cornerstone,  elect  precious."  These  texts 
go  to  show  that  Jesus  was  elected  or  chosen  as  a  media- 
tor b}  his  Father;  and  the  design  for  which  he  w  as  ap- 
pointed was  to  save  "  his  people  from  their  sins;"  and  it 
is  also  evident  from  scripture  that  he  was  chosen  from 
eternity;  (Pro v.  b.  23 — 31.)  mid  we  must  take  this  idea 
from  Rev.   13.  8.  "  The  book  of  life  of  the  la*al)  slain 

K 


74 

*'  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  Moreover  it  is  said 
(Eph.  1.4.)  that  his  people  were  chosen  in  him. 

Now  here  are  four  things  proven.  First,  Christ  was 
elected;  2,  from  eternity;  3,  to  save  his  people;  and  4, 
his  people  were  chosen  in  him.  I  ask  could  these  four 
things  be  true,  if  the  doctrine  I  am  defending  be  false? 
They  certainly  could  not.  But  they  are  proven  true  by 
the  bible.  Therefore  the  bible,  in  proving  this,  proves 
the  doctrine  of  election. 

Again,  The  Father  promised  to  Christ  that  his  people 
should  be  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power.  (Psal.  110.  3.) 
There  are  three  things  proven  here,  first,  Christ  had  a 
people;  2,  that  he  would  exercise  his  power  upon  them, 
and  3,  a  promise  that  they  should  be  made  willing; 
which  things  cannot  be  true  without  election.  Without 
election  he  could  not  as  a  Mediator  have  a  people  who 
needed  to  be  made  willing,  nor  would  he  as  a  Mediator 
have  a  right  to  exercise  his  power  for  them,  neither 
could  his  Father  promise  that  they  should  be  willing. 
Every  promise  supposes  a  purpose;  and  God's  purposes 
are  always  eternal,  as  I  have  already  proven.  This  text 
proves  a  divine  promise;  it  must  therefore  prove  a 'di- 
vine purpose  of  fulfilment,  for  we  must  not  think  that 
God  is  unfaithful.  Therefore  this  text  proves  election. 

Jesus  Christ  said  "  no  man  can  come  unto  me  except 
"  the  Father  which  has  sent  me  draw  him;  and  all  that 
"  the  Father  hath  given  to  me,  shall  come  to  me,  and 
"  him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
(John  6.  37,  44.)  There  are  three  things  proven  here. 
First,  Christ's  people  were  given  to  him  by  his  Father; 
2,  that  his  Father  would  draw  them,  and  they  every  one 
should  come  to  him,  and  3,  that  he  will  infallibly  save 
them.  These  things  are  every  one  false  unless  the  doc- 
trine of  election  be  true;  for  if  it  is  false,  Christ  as  a 
Saviour  has  no  people  given  him  by  his  Father;  his 
Father  never  will  draw  one,  for  he  can  have  no  purpose 


75 

to  do  it;  consequently  they  never  will  come,  and  ihcy 
will  of  course  die  in  their  sins.  This  text  therefore  does 
infallibly  prove  this  doctrine. 

In  the  40th  of  Isaiah,  verses  10,  11,  12.  you  may  see 
what  the  Father  promised  the  Mediator.  I  will  not  (juote 
the  passages,  but  you  may  see  that  the  following  things 
were  promised.  1.  "He  shall  see  his  seed."  This  would 
be  a  natural  impossibility,  except  the  doctrine  of  election 
be  admitted,  for  otherwise  he  would  have  no  seed.  Paul 
says,  (Rom.  11.  8.)  "that  the  children  of  the  promise  arc 
counted  for  the  seed."  But  if  God  had  not  promised  him 
a  seed,  how  could  he  promise  that  he  should  see  it.  But 
he  had  promised  him  a  seed,  and  that  he  shall  see  it,  and 
he  unchangeably  designs  to  fulfil  it.  2.  "  He  shall  see 
the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied;"  that  is,  the  great 
design  of  his  sufferings  shall  be  completed.  The  design 
for  which  Christ  suffered  was  to  save  many,  (verse  11.) 
and  God  by  promise  secures  to  Christ  the  reward  of  his 
sufferings;  which  he  could  not  do  without  a  divine  pur- 
pose. .3.  "By  his  knowledge  shall  my  righteous  servant 
"justify  many."  That  is,  by  his  divine  skill  in  conduct- 
ing the  plan  of  redemption,  he  shall  bring  many  sinners 
to  a  gospel  knowledge  of  himself  as  the  only  atonement 
for  sin,  so  that  by  faith  laying  hold  of  him,  ihey  shall  be 
justified  through  his  righteousness.  This  is  a  glorious 
promise  indeed,  wherein  God  secures  to  Christ  his  ap- 
probation of  his  atonement,  and  the  justification  of  his 
seed  through  it;  which  he  could  not  do,  but  on  the  plan 
of  election. 

Farther,  I  would  take  notice  of  certain  promises  men- 
tioned in  scripture,  which  are  of  a  peculiar  nature,  and  do 
prove  the  doctrine  I  am  vindicating.  In  Titus  1.  2.  wc 
have  this  surprising  introduction  to  tliat  epistle.  "  In 
"  hope  of  eternal  salvation,  which  God  who  cannot  lie 
"  promised  before  the  world  began."  Here  is  an  eternal 
salvation  promised  before  time  began,  and  Paul  laying 


76 

claim  to  it  according  to  the  faith  of  God's  elect;  Paul 
was  surely  right  in  laying  hold  of  a  promise  made  in 
eternity,  by  the  faith  of  God's  elect,  for  no  other  faith 
could  possibly  do  it.  Could  my  opponent  lay  hold  of  a 
promise  that  insured  eternal  salvation,  made  before  the 
world  began?  he  must  admit  the  doctrine  of  election 
first.  Paul  also  (2  Tim.  1.  9.)  says  that  God  saved  us 
by  grace  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  before  the 
world  began.  Here  I  will  ask  three  questions.  J.  Can  we 
be  saved  by  grace  given  us,  without  any  purpose  to  give 
grace?  2.  Could  we  by  grace  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus? 
3.  Could  we  by  grace  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the 
world  began?  Paul  answers.  No.  It  is  by  his  purpose, 
and  grace  given  us  &c.  Can  my  opponent  come  forward 
and  rebut  the  opinion  of  Paul? 

Matt,  8.  11,  12.  "  I  say  unto  you  that  many  shall 
"  come,"  "  from  the  east  and  the  west,"  from  the  rising  to 
the  setting  of  the  sun,  east  and  west  of  Jerusalem,  the 
gentiles,  "and  shall  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
"  but  the  children  of  the  kingdom,"  the  Jewish  nation 
"  shall  be  cast  out  into  outer  darkness;  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  I  will  take  the  liberty 
to  put  a  few  questions  here  for  inquiry. 

1.  Does  Christ  say  so  merely,  or  has  he  to  bring  it  to 
pass? 

2.  Does  he  intend  to  convert  many  of  the  gentiles  and 
take  them  to  heaven?  Certainly.  "  For  many  shall  come 
from  east  and  west." 

3.  What  will  become  of  the  Jews,  "  the  children  of  the 
"kinedom?"  does  he  intend  to  convert  them  also?  No, 
but  they  "  shall  be  cast  out  to  perdition." 

4.  Is  all  this  to  be  done  without  any  purpose,  design 
or  choice?  I  am  sure  I  never  could  draw  such  a  conclu- 
sion. 

In  John  10.  14,  16,  28,  29.  the  following  things  are 
proven 


77 

1.  "  Christ  has  sheep  whom  he  knows,  and  ihey  know 
him;"  that  is,  when  he  in  order  to  bring  them  to  salva- 
tion makes  himself  known  unto  them;  tliese  of  whom 
he  now  speaks  are  of  the  Jews. 

2.  He  has  other  sheep,  not  of  the  Jews  but  of  the 
gentiles. 

3.  He  must  bring  them  also,  and  unite  in  one  both 
Jews  and  gentiles. 

4.  The  Father  gave  them  to  him. 

5.  He  laid  down  his  life  for  them. 

6.  He  gives  them  eternal  life,  they  shall  never  perish, 
neither  can  any  pluek  them  out  of  his  or  his  Father's 
hand. 

What  a  little,  low  idea  we  must  have  of  the  grand  ^jJ4 
important  mission  of  Christ,  the  gift  of  his  Father,  and 
of  his  faithfulness  to  his  Father's  trust,  which  is  laid  be- 
fore us  in  this  passage  of  the  evangelist,  if  we  deny  the 
doctrine  of  election.  Unless  that  doctrine  be  true,  some 
of  the  things  here  proven  would  be  impossible.  Christ 
could  not  have  sheep  yet  to  be  brought;  and  he  could 
not  be  under  any  obligations  by  promise  to  his  Father  to 
bring  them;  he  could  not  lay  down  his  life  for  them  in 
particular,  (verse  26.)  he  could  not  promise  to  give  them 
eternal  life;  they  could  not  be  in  neither  his  nor  his 
Father's  hand;  and  they  might  perish.  Yea,  as  I  have 
already  shown,  if  he  had  not  an  unchangeable  purpose  to 
save  them  they  must  perish  eternally. 

This  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  (says  Christ, 
John  6.  39.)  that  of  all  which  he  hath  given  me,  I  should 
lose  nothing.  The  moment  you  deny  election,  you  also 
with  it  deny  the  truth  of  this  text.  For  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  Christ  to  be  obligated  to  save,  or  that  it 
should  be  the  will  of  his  Father  that  he  should  save  all 
whom  he  had  given  him,  unless  he  had  actually  gi\  en  a 
certain  number  unto  him  for  that  purpose.  "  I  have 
much  people  in  this  city.  (Acts  18.  10.)  It  might  with 


78 

equal  propriety  be  translated,  There  are  much  (or  many) 
people  in  this  city  belonging  to  me.  It  is  Christ  that 
speaks.  His  people  belong  to  him  by  the  gift  of  his 
Father,  (John  17.  6.)  and  by  the  purchase  of  his  death, 
(1  Cor.  6.  19,  20.)  Now  I  ask,  1.  Had  Christ  any  people 
in  Corinth  before  the  gospel  was  preached  there?  Yes 
many.  2.  Were  they  his  before  they  believed?  Certainly. 
3.  What  did  he  intend  or  purpose  to  do  with  them,  and 
what  was  his  design  in  sending  Paul  to  preach  to  them? 
Undoubtedly  to  give  them  faith  and  salvation.  (1  Cor.  3. 
5,  6.)  Does  this  prove  election?  If  not,  it  proves  nothing. 

Our  Saviour  when  he  was  upon  earth  rejoiced  in  his 
Father's  sovereign  will,  because  he  hid  the  gospel  from 
sc«ne,  and  revealed  it  to  others.  (Luke  10.  21.)  Did 
Christ  rejoice  and  thank  his  Father  for  nothing?  Was  he 
mistaken?  Or  was  it  God's  will  to  do  as  Christ  said  he 
did.  But  it  must  be  a  grand  and  an  unhappy  mistake  unless 
,  the  doctrine  of  election  be  true;  for  this  very  thing  is 
that  very  doctrine. 

In  this  part  of  our  argument  we  began  with  the  gospel 
in  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  we  have  noted  a  variety  of 
texts  and  circumstances  as  corroborating  evidences  of 
the  truth  of  this  doctrine.  And  now  we  will  close  this 
branch  of  our  testimony  with  the  close  of  the  gospel  at 
the  day  of  judgment.  That  will  be  the  grand  and  impor- 
tant revelation  of  all  the  glorious  designs  and  purposes  of 
God  in  the  gospel.  Our  blessed  Saviour  has  favoured  us 
with  a  particular  account  of  the  issue  of  that  day.  He 
who  has  the  whole  business  before  him,  and  who  is  ap- 
pointed by  his  Father  to  be  the  judge,  has  told  us  what 
will  be  the  event  of  that  day,  (Matt.  25.  31,  to  the  end.) 

I  will  not  repeat  the  whole  passage,  but  only  notice 
some  particulars.  We  find  that  he  still  knows  his  sheep, 
and  that  he  separates  them  from  the  goats.  He  will  say 
to  them  on  his  right  hand,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  father; 
but  to  them  on  the  left,  Depart  ye  cursed.  Here  note, 


that  although  Adam  and  Eve,  and  the  woman's  seed, 
were  under  tlie  curse;  yet  the  curse  was  pronounced  on 
the  serpent  and  his  seed.  Adam  and  Eve,  and  all  the 
the  children  of  promise,  were  really  blessed  in  the  seed 
of  the  woman.  The  gift  of  Christ,  the  seed  of  the  woman, 
was  really  a  blessing  to  them;  even  the  fountain  or  sum 
of  all  the  blessings  of  the  gospel;  and  the  promise  blessed 
them  w  ith  an  account  of  what  the  blessing  consisted  in, 
and  gave  a  blessed  ground  of  confidence.  And  it  is  wor- 
thy of  notice,  that  there  was  not  a  single  thing  pronounc- 
<  d  upon  Adam  and  Eve,  but  what  remains  to  this  day; 
and  both  men  and  women  have  to  suffer  them,  even  after 
they  actually  believe  in  Christ;  and  their  interest  in  Christ 
by  faith  does  not  deliver  them  from  it,  although  it  does 
completely  deliver  them  from  the  curse  of  the  law.  This 
shows  that  the  ground's  being  cursed,  and  Adam's  sor- 
row and  toil,  and  Eve's  travail  in  child-bearing,  are  only 
afflictive  dispensations:  even  natural  death  itself,  which 
l:)elievers  to  this  day  suffer,  notwithstanding  their  interest 
in  Christ  and  deliverance  from  the  curse;  and  some  of 
these  things  are  felt  very  little,  and  some  not  at  all,  even 
by  the  seed  of  the  serpent.  Thousands  of  the  wicked, 
who  never  will  have  an  interest  in  Christ,  labour  very 
little  and  live  in  affluence  and  ease,  and  sometimes  Christ's 
redeemed  ones  are  their  slaves;  and  there  have  been  thou- 
sands of  \vicked  young  women  who  have  died  without 
ever  suffering  a  single  pang  of  child-bearing.  These  things 
certainly  prove,  that  although  the  spiritual  seed  were  un- 
der the  curse,  yet  the  things  God  pronounced  were  not 
tlic  curse  of  the  law. 

But  it  was  quite  otherwise  with  the  serpent:  the  curse 
(lid  light  directly  upon  him;  and  it  is  evident  that  his  seed, 
who  were  the  remnant  of  the  race  of  Adam,  were  includ- 
ed, and  their  head,  their  very  life,  doomed  to  destruction. 
Therefore  the  sheep  on  the  right  hand  are  said  to  be 
blessed,  and  the  goats  on  the  left,  to  be  cursed. 


80 

I'he  sheep  are  said  to  be  blessed  of  the  Father.  God 
the  Father  origmally,  accordmg  to  the  counsel  or"  his  own 
will,  to  the  glory  of  his  grace,  gave  the  blessing  in  giving 
them  to  Christ,  and  in  its  being  his  will  that  Christ  should 
lose  nothing,  but  that  he  should  raise  them  up  at  the  last 
day.  Surely  he  blessed  them,  yea,  they  should  be  blessed. 
They  are  called  to  inherit  the  kingdom,  prepared  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world.  The  kingdom  prepared,  since 
when?  Before  time  began,  before  they  were  created,  be- 
fore they  had  an  existence.  This  can  never  be  true;  but 
on  the  doctrine  of  election. 

On  the  other  har.d,  everlasting  fire  was  not  prepared  for 
them  ;  there  never  was  any  design  to  punish  them.  The 
seed  of  the  woman,  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  the  kingdom, 
was  prepared  for  them  from  eternity;  but  hell  was  pre- 
pared for  the  devil  and  his  angels — the  serpent  and  his 
seed.  I  ask,  how  could  these  things  be  without  any  pur- 
pose in  God?  And  if  such  was  the  purpose  of  God,  it  must 
be  election.  Must  you  not  at  least  admit,  that  those  texts 
which  I  have  quoted,  do  prove  certain  things,  which  are 
enough  to  stagger  the  mind  of  any  man  who  denies  this 
doctrine.  What  a  wonderful  chain  of  events,  from  the  fall 
to  the  day  of  judgment,  all  coinciding  with  each  other 
from  first  to  last. 

Purpose,  choice,  election,  sound  from  one  end  of  the 
world  to  the  other,  in  words,  in  facts,  in  texts,  in  causes, 
in  effects,  and  in  all  circumstances.  How  is  it  possible  to 
think  of  the  plan  of  the  gospel,  the  design  of  the  gospel, 
the  promises  of  the  gospel,  and  especially  to  feel  the 
effects  of  the  gospel,  without  acknowledging  the  doctrine 
of  election. 


81 


CHAPTER  X. 

Faults  opinion  examined  into,  as  a  Jbrcible  argument  for 
the  doctrine  of  election. 

I  MUST  now  call  your  attention  to  another  argument, 
to  establish  the  doctrine  of  election.  This  is  the  last  mode 
of  argumentation  which  I  have  proposed  to  treat;  and 
although  it  seems  as  if  enough  has  been  said,  yet  such  is 
the  importance  of  the  doctrine,  and  so  virulent  is  the  op- 
position to  it  in  many  professing  christians,  and  the  sub- 
ject so  little  handled,  that  I  think  it  my  duty  to  give  it  an 
ample  discussion. 

If  we  could  once  get  to  know  what  was  the  opinion  oi 
any  of  the  sacred  writers  on  this  subject,  considering  that 
they  were  infallible  in  their  sentiments,  being  inspired  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  we  would  and  ought  to  consider  it  as 
positive  proof.  Let  us  therefore  inquire  a  little  into  this 
matter. 

I  will  mention  a  few  things  relative  to  our  Lord's  mind 
on  the  subject.  His  praying  not  for  the  world,  but  for 
those  whom  God  had  given  him  out  of  the  world,  and  for 
all  those  who  would  believe,  through  the  gospel,  is  a  very 
strong  circumstance.  His  rejoicing  in  the  will  of  his  Fa- 
ther, hiding  the  gospel  from  some  and  revealing  it  to 
others,  is  another.  His  vindicating  his  divine  mission,  and 
showing  the  purpose  for  which  he  laid  down  his  life,  even 
for  his  sheep;  his  account  of  the  final  proceedings  of  the 
day  of  judgment;  his  parable  of  the  tares,  are  all  strong 
circumstances.  His  saying,  "Many  are  called,  but  few 
chosen ;"  his  teaching  the  impossibility  of  deceiving  the 
elect,  and  shortening  the  days  of  distress  at  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem,  for  the  elect's  sake;  his  uniform  submission 
to  the  will  of  the  Father,  in  his  mediatorial  work,  and  al- 
\^^ays  acting  under  his  direction,  performing  the  ^vork  he 

L 


8i 

had  given  him  to  do,  all  go  to  show  that  he  considered 
himself  at  the  head  of  a  covenanted  party,  whose  salvation 
was  intrusted  to  his  care,  and  whom  he  purposed  to  bring 
to  complete  happiness. 

Paul,  Peter,  John,  Jude  and  Luke,  who  wrote  a  history 
of  Christ,  and  the  acts  of  the  apostles,  were  all  sacred 
writers  of  the  new  testament.  In  Luke's  history  of  the 
acts  of  the  apostles,  we  find  he  sometimes  gives  us  his 
own  sentiments  in  a  historical  manner,  as  to  the  way  in 
which  he  judged  things  to  be.  As  to  his  opinion  on  this 
disputed  point,  I  will  only  quote  one  text,  (Acts  13.  48.) 
"  As  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life,  believed." 
Here  the  beloved  physician  is  evidently  giving  his  own 
sentiment  on  the  facts  which  occurred;  and  in  finding 
that  some  believed  and  some  did  not,  he  gives  us  the 
reason  of  the  difference,  and  the  reason  is  so  simple  and 
decisive  that  we  instantaneously  judge  him  to  be  a  pre- 
destinarian.  This  is  worthy  of  notice  indeed,  that  the 
evangelist  Luke,  who  wrote  the  life  of  Christ,  and  to 
whom  was  intrusted  the  history  of  the  acts  of  the  apostles, 
should  so  evidently  side  with  the  doctrine  of  election. 

Jude  or  Judas,  the  brother  of  James,  in  his  short  epistle, 
seems  pretty  evidently  to  side  with  this  doctrine.  He  says 
that  those  who  had  crept  into  the  churches  w^ere,  before, 
of  old,  ordained  to  this  condemnation;  he  ranks  them  with 
the  fallen  angels  whom  God  had  reserved  in  everlasting 
chains  unto  the  judgment,  and  to  Cain  who  was  cursed 
of  God  and  cast  out  from  his  presence.  No  man  can  hold 
reprobation  of  some  without  holding  election  of  others. 

John  (1  Epis.  2.  19.)  speaking  of  apostates,  says, 
"  They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us,  for 
"  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would,  no  doubt,  have 
"  continued  with  us;  but  they  went  out  that  they  might 
"  be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not  ali  of  us."  And 
in  chapter  4.  19.  he  says,  "We  love  him,  because  he 
"  first  loved  us;"  which  are  certainly  to  the  point  in  hand. 


83 

And  John  believed  the  doctrine  of  election;  at  least  he 
thought  the  lady  to  whom  he  wrote  was  elected. 

What  does  James  think?  (Acts  15.  18.)  he  says,  in  the 
council  at  Jerusalem,  "Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works, 
''  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,"  and  in  his  epistle 
(chap.  1.  17,  18.)  that  with  God  "is  no  variableness, 
"  neither  shadow  of  turning.  Of  his  own  will  begat  he  us, 
"  with  the  word  of  truth."  By  putting  these  things  to- 
gether,  we  are  disposed  to  conclude  that  the  apostle 
James  thought  that  it  was  God's  work  to  beget  by  the 
word,  that  this  work  was  known  to  him,  and  that  he  was 
unchangeable  in  his  purpose  to  perform  it,  and  conse- 
quently, he  thought  the  doctrine  of  election  was  true. 

Peter  is  very  certain  that  God  foreordained  the  suffer- 
ings of  Christ';  and  he  does  not  hesitate  to  call  the  christ- 
ians to  whom  he  wrote,  elect,  according  to  the  foreknow- 
ledge of  God.  He  also  calls  them  a  chosen  generation,  a 
peculiar  people,  and  exhorts  them  to  give  diligence  to 
make  their  calling  and  election  sure.  1  think  a  man,  who 
would  sav  and  do  all  this,  must  believe  the  doctrme  of 
election;  or  he  must  say  one  thing  and  mean  another. 
When  a  man's  opinion  is  no  argument,  we  have  no  diffi- 
cultv  to  find  what  it  is  by  what  he  says;  but  if  we  have 
no  chance  of  disputing  with  him;  if  he  is  inspired  and  is 
consequentlv  a  rule  for  our  faith,  then  we  feel  too  much 
of  a  disposition  to   explain  away   every  thmg   he  says 
against  us,  rather  than  give  up  a  favourite  pomt.  We 
have  not  boldness  enough  to  contradict  the  apostles,  but 
if  thev  do  not  speak  to  please  us  we  think  nothmg  to  ex- 
plain  till  we  take  away  their  natural  meaning;  then  wc 
think  we  have  gained  our  point  while  at  the  same  time 
we  have  onlv  shown  our  pride  and  folly. 

But  let  m'e,  in  the  last  place,  introduce  St.  Paul.  He 
is  the  man  who  will  let  you  know  what  opinion  he  is  of; 
and  he  will  make  you  think  as  he  thinks  or  deny  the 
feelings  of  common  sense.  The  simple  inquiry  now  is. 


84 

vvhat  Paul's  opinion  was;  whether  he  was  for  or  against 
election. 

1.  We  find  he  asserts  that  God  hath  chosen  his  people, 
in  Christ,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world;  that  they 
should  be  holy  and  without  blame  before  him  in  love; 
that  he  hath  predestinated  them,  unto  the  adoption  of 
children,  by  Jesus  Christ,  to  himself;  according  to  the 
good  pleasure  of  his  will;  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his 
grace.  That  he  hath  saved  and  called  with  an  holy  calling, 
not  according  to  works  but  according  to  his  own  pur- 
pose and  grace,  which  was  given  in  Christ  Jesus  before 
the  world  began.  (Eph.  1.  4,  5.  2  Tim.  1.  9.)  And  espe- 
cially in  Rom.  8.  29.  "Whom  he  did  foreknow  he  also 
did  predestinate,"  &c. 

2.  In  the  place  last  cited,  we  find  Paul  explaining  the 
whole  scheme  from  first  to  last,  pointing  out  step  by  step 
the  whole  order  of  the  divine  procedure,  from  the  first 
purpose  of  the  divine  will  until  the  sinner  is  completely 
saved. 

3.  From  the  31st  verse  to  the  close  of  the  chapter,  we 
find  him  exulting,  standing  on  the  basis  of  God's  eternal 
purpose.  He  in  a  most  sublime  manner  challenges  the 
whole  universe,  with  every  thing  existing,  and  every  thing 
or  circumstance  that  is,  or  ever  will  be,  to  separate  God's 
elect  from  his  unchangeable  love  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord.  What  can  excel  this  passage  of  scripture  P  All  the 
triumphs  of  the  conquerors  in  Greece  and  Rome,  when 
compared  to  it,  dwindle  into  nothing  in  a  moment. 
What  does  Paul  make  the  ground  of  all  this  exultation? 
Nothing  but  the  glorious  purpose  of  God.  According  to 
the  statement  of  the  apostle,  they  are  God's  elect  who 
cannot  be  charged  or  condemned,  or  separated  from  his 
love  by  any  thing  in  heaven,  earth  or  hell. 

4.  In  the  following  chapters,  we  find  the  apostle  going 
tlirough  a  chain  of  argumentation,  to  establish  the  truth 
of  election.  We  are  not  now  inquiring  whether  his  argu 


85 

ments  are  good  or  not,  but  whether  he  really  did  argue 
in  favour  of  election ;  whether  this  was  the  point  he 
wished  to  establish. 

The  apostle  seems  to  have  in  view  the  sovereignty  of 
God,  in  saving  only  a  remnant  of  the  Jews,  who  had  all 
the  advantages  of  God's  ordinances,  and  casting  off  the 
rest  and  taking  in  the  gentiles  in  their  place;  and  finally, 
the  calling  of  the  Jews  in  the  latter  day.  This  is  election 
to  all  intents  and  purposes.  So  we  find  that  election  is  the 
very  subject  of  discussion. 

5.  He  first  expresses  his  sorrow  for  the  unhappy  fate  of 
his  people,  chap.  9.  1 — 5.  and  speaks  of  the  great  oppor- 
tunities they  enjoyed.  But  his  strong  feelings  of  conti- 
nual heaviness  and  sorro^^',  although  he  ardently  wished 
and  strove  for  their  salvation,  never  altered  the  sentiment 
of  his  mind.  He  still  argues,  that  although  they  were  all 
the  seed  of  Israel,  yet  they  were  not  all  Israel.  Israel  pre- 
vailed and  got  a  blessing,  but  all  his  seed  did  not.  And 
even  when  Abram  was  called,  and  God  had  established 
his  covenant  with  him  and  his  seed,  yet  Ishmael  and  all 
the  sons  of  Keturah  were  excluded;  and  none  but  Isaac 
was  taken  in.  He  gave  Isaac  by  promise,  agreeably  to  the 
promise  in  the  garden  of  Eden;  so  that  the  seed,  the 
children  of  God,  might  be  counted  the  children  of  the 
promise,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  children  of  the 
flesh,  the  seed  of  the  serpent,  ver.  6 — 9. 

He  returns  again  in  his  argument  to  Jacob,  proceed- 
ing in  a  direct  line  of  the  seed  from  Abraham  to  him. 
Here  he  finds  a  grand  act  of  sovereignty:  Rebecca  had 
twins;  they  strove  together  in  the  womb.  "Why  am  1 
"  thus?"  said  Rebecca;  and  the  Lord  said  "Two  manner 
"  of  people  shall  be  separated  from  thy  bowels."  The 
children  were  not  yet  born,  haA-ingdone  neither  good  nor 
evil  to  induce  God  to  choose  either  before  the  other;  yet 
in  this  state  God  made  known  his  choice,  that  his  own 
purpose  according  to  election  might  stand;  not  of  works 


86 

but  of  him  that  calleth.  Had  it  been  of  works,  it  would 
not  have  been  of  him  that  calleth,  but  of  him  that  work- 
eth.  Election  and  works  are  direct  opposites;  but  as  the 
youngest  gained  it  by  election,  he  gained  it  by  grace,  or 
by  promise.  It  was  therefore  said  or  promised  to  the 
youngest,  that  the  eldest  should  serve  him,  that  is,  the 
youngest  should  have  the  preference.  So  that  Jacob  was 
of  promise  as  well  as  Isaac.  And  when  the  blessing  was 
bestowed,  Jacob  could  plead  no  righteousness,  for  his 
father  pronounced  it  on  him  in  a  mistake,  by  a  wonderful 
fulfilment  of  God's  promise  to  Rebecca,  who  took  mea- 
sures awfully  hazardous  at  the  very  last  moment.  Had 
she  not  been  a  better  woman  than  Isaac  was  a  man,  she 
could  not  have  ventured  on  such  a  daring  enterprise. 
But  the  promise,  the  promise  was  what  insured  success: 
"  The  elder  shall  serve  the  younger."  As  for  Jacob,  he, 
with  as  little  faith,  I  suppose,  as  his  father,  went  through 
the  wonderful  scene,  wading  through  falsehood,  deception, 
and  lies;  not  by  works  of  righteousness,  obtained  the 
blessing,  by  free  grace.  His  father,  both  blind  and  blind- 
ed, blessed  Jacob  according  to  God's  promise  to  Rebec- 
ca ;  Jacob,  I  say,  (whom  God  loved)  and  thought  he  was 
blessing  Esau,  whom  he  loved  for  his  venison,  but  whom 
God  hated :  "Jacob  have  I  loved,  but  Esau  have  I  hated." 
(Mat.  1.  2,  3.)  How  awful  the  disappointment  when  Esau 
came.  Isaac  being  finite  might  have  changed,  but  God 
could  not;  therefore  the  pUrpose  of  God  gained  the  im- 
portant point.  "I  have  blessed  him,  yea,  and  he  shall  be 
"  blessed,"  ver.  10 — 13.  Does  my  reader  see  Paul's 
opinion  about  election,  or  is  he  still  blind  like  poor  old 
Isaac'? 


CHAPTER  XL 

Paul-'s  opinion  of  election  and  a7'giunents  farther 
examined  into: 

The  venerable  apostle  here  answers  some  objections 
Avhich  he  introduces  iigainst  the  doctrine  he  is  establish- 
ing, which  I  shall  notice  by  and  by.  Let  us  now  proceed 
on  his  arguments. 

At  the  24th  verse  he  argues,  i\\gX  God  has  not  confined 
his  choice  to  the  Jewish  nation,  but  that  he  has  extended 
his  grace  to  the  gentiles  also.  He  introduces  some  quota- 
tions from  the  prophet  Isaiah  to  prove  his  point,  ver.  25^ 
26.  He  then  speaks  of  the  remnant  of  Israel  who  should 
be  saved;  and  that  unless  the  Lord  had  left  them  a  seed 
they  would  all  be  destroyed  like  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
This  he  substantiates  by  quotations  from  the  same  prophet. 

The  apostle  evidently  introduces  these  passages  to 
show,  that  God  had  chosen  but  a  part  both  of  Jews  and 
gentiles  to  salvation.  Ver.  27,  28,  29.  The  chapter 
closes  with  the  awfully  sovereign  dispensation  of  God. 
The  gentiles  were  made  partakers  of  the  gospel,  and  the 
Jews  were  cast  off;  being  left  to  stumble  at  that  stum- 
bling stone.  He  then  proceeds  to  point  out  the  dreadful 
consequence  of  blindness,  by  which  opposers  of  the  gos- 
pel plan  are  led  to  reject  the  free  offers  of  salvation,  and 
turn  to  the  law  as  the  only  hope  of  a  lost  sinner,  by  which 
they  miss  the  only  righteousness  which  could  justify  them. 
This  leads  him  to  an  explanation  of  the  nature  of  the 
gospel  plan,  and  concludes  the  chapter,  proving  b}'  Mo- 
ses and  Isaiah,  the  calling  of  the  gentiles  and  the  rejec- 
tion of  the  Jews.  (Chap.  10.) 

Although,  as  the  apostle  has  proved,  God  in  his 
sovereign  will  has  cast  away  the  Jews  as  a  nation,  yet  he 


88 

instances  himself  as  an  argument  that  he  has  still  his 
chosen  number;  and  he  says  that  those  whom  God  fore- 
knew or  chose  never  were  cast  away.  As  a  proof  of 
this  he  quotes  the  case  of  Elias  complaining  to  the  God  of 
Israel  that  such  a  declension  had  taken  place  that  he  was 
left  alone;  but  God  informs  him  that  although  he  had 
permitted  the  generality  to  fall  away,  yet  he  had  seven  thou- 
sand reserved  unto  himself,  who  by  his  grace  had  stemmed 
the  torrent,  and  had  never  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal.  So 
he  argues  at  this  very  time  when  almost  the  whole  nation 
is  given  up,  yet  there  is  a  remnant  to  be  saved  accord- 
ing to  the  election  of  gr^ice,  that  is,  free  election.  (Chap. 
11.  1 — 5.)  He  then  very  nicely  shows  that  from  the  very 
idea  of  grace  and  works,  election  must  be  the  ground 
work  of  the  whole,  for  otherwise  salvation  must  be  by 
works,  or  we  must  jumble  the  Jtwo  words  together  and 
make  no  difference  betwixt  being  saved  by  works  and 
by  free  grace,  (verse  6.)  Then  he  elegantly  draws  the 
conclusion  of  his  argument.  That  although  the  people 
of  Israel  by  all  their  attendance  on  rites  and  ordinances, 
which  all  lead  to  the  only  way  of  salvation,  have  not  as  a 
people  obtained  the  happy  end ;  yet  the  election,  or  the 
elect,  by  God's  sovereign  purpose  toward  them  hath 
obtained  it,  and  the  rest  in  the  dreadful  counsels  of  God 
were  given  over  to  fatal  blindness,  (v.  7.)  To  prove  this 
he  quotes  two  passages  from  the  old  testament  in  the 
8,  9,  10.  verses. 

Have  they  stumbled  that  they  should  fall?  God  forbid. 
The  object  of  election  is  not  the  destruction  of  the  re- 
probate but  the  salvation  of  the  chosen.  They  have  fallen, 
to  be  sure,  as  a  necessary  consequence  of  their  being  not 
chosen;  but  God's  purpose  is  to  save  tlie  gentiles. 

But  for  brevity's  sake,  I  shall  waive  any  farther  obser- 
vations on  his  arguments;  only  note  that  in  the  same 
masterly  manner  he  shows  the  glorious  purpose  of  God 
finally  to  bring  in  the  whole  nation  of  the  Jews,  so  that 


89 

both  Jew  and  gvntilc  shall'  make  one  glorious  church. 
And  all  Israel  sliall  be  sa\  ed,  and  there  shall  be  one  fold 
and  one  shepherd. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  apostle  not  only  cvidentl}-  shows 
what  side  of  the  question  he  is  on;  but  he  has  taken  up 
the  subject,  and  has  ji^iven  it  a  full,  and  most  complete 
investigation,  so  that  if  any'  man  will  not  give  up  to  his 
authority  as  an  apostle,  but  differ  with  him  in  sentiment, 
he  will  find  his  arguments  unanswerable.  He  has  handled 
the  subject  every  way.   He  has  explained  the  order  of 
election,  he  has  treated  it  as  it  related  to  the  Jews,  to  the 
gentiles,  and  to  both.   He  has  argued  from  facts,  from 
texts,  from  the  nature  of  grace  and  salvation,  and  all  in  a 
most  masterly  manner.   But  I  promised    to    notice   his 
reply  to  some  supposed  objections  to  the  doctrine.   This 
is  the  sixth  way  in  which  he  shows  his  opinion.  Did  the 
great  apostle  Paul  really  go  so  far  as  to  answer  objections 
against  the  doctrine  of  election?   He  certainly  must  be- 
lieve it  then,  otherwise  he  would  rather  object  himself, 
than  answer  objections, 

Rom.  9.  14.  "What  shall  we  say?  Is  there  unrigh- 
"  tcousness  with  God?  Gud  forbid."  This  might  make 
my  opponent  blush.  This  is  the  very  objection  which 
we  hear  at  this  day:  "It  is  unjust.  It  is  not  fair  for 
"  God  to  give  some  a  chance,  and  not  others.  God  is  no 
"  respecter  of  persons,  &c."  Whether  Paul  has  answered 
this  objection  judiciously  or  not,  is  not  now  the  inquiry. 
It  is  enough  for  my  purpose  that  he  has  answered  it 
somehow. 

Again,  he  introduces  another,  (verse  19.)  "Why  doth 
"  he  yetfmd  fault,  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will?"  I'his  is 
also  a  very  common  objection.  "  This  destroys  all  moral 
"agency,  and  consequently  the  sinner  is  excusable.  Why 
"  is  he  blamable  for  not  believing,  when  he  is  not  able?" 
The  apostle  answers  both  these  objections  b\  quotations 
from  scripture,  and  some  observations  on  them. 

M 


90 

In  answer  to  the  first,  he  quotes  a  text  in  Exodus, 
33  chap.  19  verse,  "  I  will  have  mercy  on  ^vhom  I  will 
''have  mercy  "  &:c.  plainly  proving  that  from  the  very 
nature  of  mercy,  it  must  be  bestowed  without  any  merit; 
for  it  is  the  nature  of  obligation  except  by  voluntary  pro- 
mise to  destroy  the  very  idea  of  mercy.  Mercy  must  al- 
ways be  without  claim  or  merit;  and  consequently  must 
be  optional  with  the  donor.  Where  is  the  sinner,  who  has 
or  can  possibly  have  a  claim  upon  his  Maker?  The  claim 
of  justice  is  punishment;  and  were  it  not  that  on  the 
plan  of  the  gospel,  justice  is  satisfied,  the  objection  would 
completely  stand  against  the  salvation  of  any.  But  seeing 
God  in  his  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  has  opened  a 
door  of  mercy  on  the  principles  of  free  grace,  how  is  it 
possible  for  unrighteousness  to  be  with  God  in  bestowing 
free  and  unmerited  grace  on  whom  he  pleased.  The  objec- 
tion is  surely  fully  answered.  The  force  of  the  argument 
is  this,  "  You  object  against  my  statement  of  election  says 
"  the  apostle;  in  so  doing  you  object  against  the  very 
"idea  of  mercy;  and  you  also  cavil  at  God's  own  de- 
"  claration  to  Moses,  where  he  undoubtedly  intended  to 
"  show  his  sovereignty  in  bestowing  his  grace  on  whom 
"  he  saw  fit;  for  on  that  declaration  it  is  evident  that  it  is 
"not  of  him  that  willeth,  or  of  him  that  runneth,  but 
"wholly  and  solely  of  God  that  showeth  mercy;"  and 
this  might  let  every  one  know  that  to  impute  unrigh- 
teousness to  God,  as  an  objection  to  his  bestowing  free 
mercy  according  to  his  own  choice,  is  to  object  against 
what  he  in  his  word  declares  he  will  do.  He  then  very 
pertinently  quotes  the  awful  message  of  God  by  Moses 
to  Piiaraoh:  "  For  this  purpose  have  I  raised  thee  up," 
&c.  He  therefore  concludes  that  God  bestowed  his 
favours  as  he  pleased,  that  he  was  determined  in  his 
eternal  counsels  to  be  merciful  without  constraint,  to 
whom  he  would,  and  whom  he  would  to  harden.  For 
God  to  harden  a  sinner's  heart,  is  simply  not  to  be  mer- 


91 

cilul  to  him.  God  did  purpobc  to  sliow  mercy  to  some, 
but  not  to  Pharaoli,  but  to  cut  him  oft;  and  for  this  pur- 
pose he  raised  him  to  tlie  throne  ol"  Kgypl.  (Kxod.  9. 
13 — 16.)  But  Paul's  caviler  demonstrating  aliidden  dis- 
position, not  unlike  Pharaoh's,  "  who  is  the  Lord  that  I 
*'  should  obey  his  voice?"  replies  in  the  very  tone  of  the 
objectors  in  our  day,  against  the  plainest  arguments 
drawn  from  God's  declarations  in  his  word,  "  win  doth 
"he  yet  find  fault,  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will?"  How 
can  the  sinner  help  it  if  he  is  not  elected?  If  it  is  God's 
will  not  to  show  him  mercy,  whose  fault  is  it? 

The  apostle  evidently  viewed  this  objection  with  hor- 
ror and  indignation.  When  I  had  finished  my  observa- 
tion on  Paul's  answer  of  the  first  objection,  I  felt  the 
force  of  the  apostle's  arguments,  founded  on  the  positive 
declaration  of  God  himself  to  Moses,  iwid  when  1  came 
to  this,  I  confess  I  felt  as  if  the  objector  was  leveling  his 
artillery  directly  against  God  himself.  1  immediately 
took  up  my  Greek  testament  to  examine  what  manner  of 
expression  or  what  words  Paul  made  use  of  in  rebutting 
it.  Perhaps  it  would  be  too  simple  and  lionest  in  me  to 
tell  how  I  felt  when  I  read  those  words,  ''  Mev^vj/e,  w  oiv- 
^^uTTi,  cu  T(';  ii  6  oivT<x7rQK^ivo[Mvog  raJ  ©ew;"  what  an  insig- 
nificant worm  a  man  is,  when  he  impiously  objects 
against  the  will  of  his  Maker!  The  inspired  apostle  evi- 
dently  expresses  himself  in  an  interrupted  manner;  his 
sentences  are  short,  broken,  and  full  of  energy.  "  Hut! 
"•  tut!  tut!  O  man!  Who  are  you,  replying  against  God!'' 

The  apostle  evidently  views  the  objector  as  a  man;  a 
poor  sinful  man,  yet  replying  against  God,  the  great  so- 
vereign of  the  world.  He  considered  the  arguments  he 
had  brought  forward  as  stated  by  and  founded  on  the 
very  word  of  God;  consecjuently  it  was  no  wonder  he 
gives  such  an  abrupt  reply. 

O  reader  whoever  you  are,  }  on  must  excuse  the  old 
venerable  apostle,  if  he  thinks  it  sufficient  to  rebut  an 


92 

objection  Xvhich  is  leA^elled  against  the  sovereign  will  of 
God,  by  a  quotation  from  the  very  Avord  of  God.  For  a 
man  who  can  reply  against  the  bible,  need  not  be  reasoned 
with.  If  you  cannot  control  him  by  divine  authority,  you 
must  "let  the  ignorant  be  ignorant  still,"  and  I  would 
seriously  advise  all  such  objectors  carefully  to  read  1  Cor. 
14.  36,  37,  38. 

Paul,  however,  contents  himself  in  resolving  the  whole 
difficulty  by  God's  sovereignty.  But  he  does  it  most  in- 
geniously by  quoting  the  substance  of  Isaiah  29.  16.  and 
Jer.  18.  1 — 6.  which  contain  a  striking  figure  of  the  clay 
in  the  hands  of  the  potter;  and  asks  two  questions, 
*'  What  if  God  willing  to  show  his  wrath,"  that  is,  willing 
or  chose  to  exemplify  the  dreadful  consequences  of  his 
inflexible  justice,  in  the  vessels  of  wrath,  fitted  by  their 
own  sin  and  obstinacy  for  destruction;  or  what  if  God 
willing,  or  chose,  to  exemplify  "  the  riches  of  his  glory 
"  (i.  e.  his  sovereignty)  on  the  vessels  of  mercy  which  he 
"  had  afore  (before,  from  eternity)  appointed  (predesti- 
"  nated)  unto  glory"  have  we  any  reason  to  object,  or  dis- 
pute his  sovereign  will?  Certainly,  no.  We  all  have  sinned 
and  come  short  of  his  glory,  and  all  deserved  to  be  left  as 
he  left  the  devils  to  suffer  eternal  perdition,  and  if  he 
chooses  to  save  some,  of  his  mere  grace  and  mercy,  it  is 
not  for  rebels  to  direct  him  in  his  choice,  but  to  adore 
rather  than  cavil  at  his  sovereign  counsels. 

Now  I  am  done  examining  the  apostle's  sentiments  on 
election.  I  find  he  asserts  the  doctrine,  he  explains  the 
order  of  it,  he  makes  the  elect  to  exult  in  it,  he  argues 
for  it,  and  that  his  arguments  are  both  scriptural  and 
logical,  and  answers  objections  against  it. 

And  can  we,  at  last,  conclude  that  he  denies  the  doc- 
trine? If  there  ever  was  any  thing  made  plain  since  God 
created  Adam  this  is,  that  Paul  firmly  believed  that  God 
from  eternity  did  predestinate  to  salvation  all  those  who 
will  be  saved. 


93 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Jive  scriptural  arguments  collected  together  ami  the 
conclusion  drawn  establishing  the  doctrine  oy  election. 

Having  considered  the  various  ways  in  which  the 
holy  bible  establishes  the  doctrine  of  election,  with  at 
least  some  degree  of  accuracy  and  candor,  I  now  pro- 
ceed to  bring  the  whole  into  a  concise  view,  and  draw'the 
necessary  conclusion.  As  I  have  taken  an  extensive  view 
of  the  argument  before,  I  hope  the  reader  will  excuse  the 
laconic  form  of  my  sentences,  as  I  only  intend  in  this  to 
draw  the  arguments  together. 

1.  God  will  save  some ;  not  all.  They  will  be  saved  not 
by  works  but  by  free  grace.  God  will  give  that  grace,  not 
by  chance,  but  with  design.  God  is  unchangeable.  Hence 

1  infallibly  conclude,  that  God  from  eternity  purposed  to 
save  by  freely  giving  his  grace  to  all  who  e^'er  will  be 
saved. 

2.  This  is  not  only  a  logical  conclusion  drawn  from 
gospel  doctrines  compared  together,  but  I  have  quoted 
several  positive  proofs  to  confirm  this  sentiment;  particu- 
larly the  following:  1  Thes.  1.  4.  P2ph.  1.  o,  4,  5,  6,  and 
11.  chap.  3.  11.  2  Thes.  2.  13.  Rom.  8.  29.  1  Pet.  1.  2. 

2  Tim.  1.  9.  Acts  13.  48.  Rom.  11.  5,  6,  7.  chap.  9.  32. 
Mat.  11.  25,26.  Luke  10.  21. 

In  these  scriptures  the  doctrine  of  election  is  expressed 
as  plainly  as  ever  any  thing  is,  or  could  possibly  be  ex- 
pressed in  the  bible.  Suffer  me  to  give  four  examples. 

A'ol  di.s/tuted.  Disjiuted. 

1.  God  created  the  heavens  and     1.  According  as  he  hath  chosen 
the  earth.  Gen.  I.  I.  us  in  him  before  the  foundation 

of  the  world. 

2.  They  crucified   him    betwixt     2.  Having  predestinated    us   ac- 
two  thieves.  Luke  23.  2o.  cording  to  the  good  pleasure  of 

his  will.  Kph.  1.  4,  5. 


94 

3.  He    that   believeth    ^hall    be     3.  As  many  as  were  ordained  to 
saved.  Mark  16.  16.  eternal  life  believed.  Acts  13.48. 

4.  Without  holiness  no  man  shall     4.  Whom  he  did  foreknow  he  did 
see  the  Lord.  Heb.  12.  14.  also  predestinate  to  be  conform- 
ed to  the  image  of  his  son.  Rom. 
8.29. 

It  is  vain  to  multiply  words.  Any  one  of  these  truths 
are  as  clearly  revealed  as  any  other.  And  they  are  all  as 
clearly  revealed  as  either  Hebrew,  Greek  or  English  can 
possibly  do  it.  And  although  one  class  is  disputed,  and 
the  other  not,  yet  the  ground  of  dispute  does  not  lie  in 
the  texts,  for  there  is  no  difference  there;  but  it  lies  in 
God  only  knows  what;  for  there  is  no  other  being  in  the 
universe  can  tell. 

3.  God  has  by  the  inspired  apostle  laid  down  the  whole 
plan  in  an  orderly  scale,  exhibiting  the  whole  scheme  from 
first  to  last:  Foreknowledge,  predestination,  calling,  justi- 
fication, and  glor}\ 

4.  There  are  several  doctrines  taught  in  scripture, 
several  promises  made,  several  accounts  given  and  things 
proven  to  be  done,  and  foretold  to  be  hereafter,  which  in 
their  very  nature  and  circumstances  do  prove  election, 
because  they  could  not  otherwise  take  place. 

5.  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  declares  the  sovereign  pur- 
pose of  his  Father  and  perfectly  acquiesces  in  his  will;  and 
in  several  instances  speaks  of  the  doctrine,  and  makes  it 
the  foundation  on  which  his  people  will  stand  fast  against 
both  deception  and  persecution.  Luke,  Jude,  John,  James, 
and  Peter  all  side  with  this  doctrine.  Paul  we  have  taken 
particular  notice  of,  because  he  professedly  gives  the  sub- 
ject a  thorough  discussion.  We  have  found  six  reasons 
to  conclude  that  he  did  believe  the  doctrine.  He  asserts 
it,  he  laid  down  the  plan  of  it,  he  exulted  in  it,  he  argued 
for  it,  he  quoted  texts  to  prove  it,  and  he  answered  objec 
tions  against  it. 

This  is  what  the  scripture  says  about  this  most  interest- 
ing doctrine  of  election.  And  if  I  would  pretend  to  be  a 


9.'i 

.^-ood  logician,  a  sound  reasoner,  and  an  accurate  scriptu- 
riiin,  I  must  draw  tliis  conclusion  IVom  the  whole;  viz. 
that  God  did  from  eternity  choose  a  number  of  the  race 
')!'  Adam  t(j  salvation ;  tiiat  to  those  he  will  give  everv  ne- 
cessary grace  completely  to  save  their  souls,  and  to  make 
ihem  eternally  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  himself  for- 
ever. 

There  are  several  ways  to  prove  many  things  by  scrip- 
lure.  One  would  think  that  positive  assertion  would  be 
the  shortest  and  most  unanswerable  prbof  that  could  be 
given  from  the  bible,  and  so  it  would  if  it  did  not  depend 
so  much  upon  the  precarious  meaning  of  words.  And 
iiistances  are  not  wanting  in  which  the  plainest  texts  have 
been  controverted  on  this  very  ground.  But  there  are 
some  ways  in  which  things  are  more  incontrovertibly 
proven  by  the  bible  than  by  what  we  call  positive  proof. 
The  bible  has  the  advantage  of  every  book,  because  the 
writers  were  ijispired  and  their  opinion  must  always  be 
taken  for  the  mind  of  God. 

St.  Paul  in  die  15th  chap,  of  his  first  epistle  to  the  Co- 
rinthians pro^■es  the  resurrection  by  treating  the  subject 
more  effectually  than  he,  perhaps,  could  have  done  bv 
roundly  asserting  it.  This  proof  has  these  advantages, 
good  arguments  which  prove  the  point  independent  of 
the  apostle's  own  sentiment,  and  his  own  sentiment 
clearly  seen  in  the  arguments  even  if  the  arguments  were 
not  conclusive.  In  another  case,  Paul  quotes  a  text  of 
scripture  "  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  that  treadeth 
"  out  the  corn."  The  apostle  argues  that  this  law  proved 
that  preachers  of  the  gospel  should  be  supported.  I  do 
not  clearly  see  that  his  argument  is  conclusive;  were  he 
not  inspired  I  might,  perhaps,  dispute  tlie  conclusiveness 
of  it;  but  I  never  could  hesitate  as  to  his  opinion.  But 
when  I  think  he  is  inspired,  although  I  mfi}-  not  see  the 
force  of  his  argument,  yet  his  opinion  is  the  mind  of  God, 
-.ind  I  immediately  ^ivc  up  the  point.   Again,  w  iicn  the 


96 

bible  roundly  asserts  that  the  wicked  shall  go  away  into 
evei lasting  punishment;  the  word  everlasting  is  contro-j'j 
verted  as  to  its  meaning,  yet  it  still  proves  that  they  willi 
go  away  to  punishment,  but  how  long  that  punishment* 
will  last  is  the  dispute.  Bui  when  I  read  1  Cor.  .15.  al^j 
though  tiie  apostle  does  not  say  one  word  on  this  subject, 
yet  he  says  that  at  the  resurrection  death  will  be  destroyed, 
which  win  be  the  last  enemy,  then  Christ  will  have  con- 
cluded his  mediatorial  reign,  and  given  up  the  kingdom 
to  his  Father,  having  put  down  all  rule,  all  authority  and 
power:   Here  the  bible,  by  Paul's  opinion  of  the  close  of 
Christ's  mediatorial  kingdom,  to  take  place  at  the  resur- 
rection, from  whence  numbers  will  go  away  to  punish- 
ment, gives  the  most  incontrovertible  proof  of  the  eternal 
duration  of  the  torments  of  hell. 

Once  more:  The  bible  does  not  literally  prove  either 
the  change  of  the  sabbath,  or  the  baptism  of  infants.  Yet 
when  I  read  of  the  disciples  meeting  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  and  Paul's  directing  the  churches  to  lift  their  con- 
tributions on  that  day,  I  have  the  apostle's  mind  and  con- 
sequently the  mind  of  God.  Also,  when  I  find  the  inspired 
apostle,  when  he  is  directing  husbands  and  wives  to  con- 
tinue together  even  though  one  should  be  an  infidel;  and 
making  infant  baptism  the  ground  of  his  argument  ( 1  Cor. 
7.  14.)  1  immediately  have  the  apostle's  opinion.  I  cannot 
but  conclude  that  Paul,  even  as  a  man  of  sense,  must 
have  more  ingenuity  and  honesty  in  him,  than  to  establish 
an  argument  on  a  falsehood.  For  the  Corinthians  knew, 
whether  it  was  a  rule  among  them  to  count  the  children 
federally  holy,  upon  the  account  of  the  faith  of  the  parent 
or  parents.  If  not,  the  apostle  would  have  committed  him- 
self in  making  It  the  ground  of  his  argument.  But  he 
took  it  for  granted,  which  is  an  evident  proof  that  the 
Corinthians  adopted  infant  baptism,  by  the  authority  of 
the  apostle,  who  planted  their  church,  and  therefore,  we 
must  have  the  apostle's  mind  on  the  subject;  and  when  I 


97 

consider  that  he  was  inspired,  I  have  the  mind  of  God 
who  inspired  liim,  and  am  boimd  to  admit  it  as  an  irre- 
fragable proof  for  the  doetrine  of  infant  baptism. 

I  hope  my  reader  will  pardon  this  lengthy  digression. 
I  ha\'e  still  my  subjeet  in  my  eye,  and  have  taken  this 
way  to  show,  how  many  ways  certain  things  may  be  pro- 
ven by  the  bible,  without  what  we  call  positive  proof;  and 
sometimes  more  decisive  in  an  argument,  and  moresatis- 
factor}'  than  a  positive  proof  can  possibly  be,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  various  meanings  put  on  words,  on  which 
positive  proof  depends. 

Every  person  must  be  sensible  of  the  convincing  effect 
of  such  kind  of  testimony;  and  I  must  conclude,  that 
when  Paul,  the  inspired  apostle,  enters  upon,  and  goes 
through  a  lengthy  discussion  of  the  doctrine  of  election; 
and  especially  when  he  introduces  scripture  texts  and 
facts  to  prove  it;  and  more  especially  still,  when  he  sup- 
poses and  answers  objections  against  it,  he  must  think  it 
true.  There  is  no  man  in  the  world  who  has  an  ounce  of 
candor,  but  must  see  that  Paul,  by  so  doing,  does  prove 
effectually,  that  such  was  his  opinion.  But  Paul's  opinion 
is  the  mind  of  God,  for  he  was  inspired,  and  therefore  it 
must  be  decisive  in  the  case  in  question. 

What  could  any  one  think,  if  he  heard  one  in  the  pulpit 
using  the  expressions  and  arguments  which  Paul  did.  If 
I  were  to  argue  from  the  case  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob, 
and  Pharaoh,  &.c.  as  he  did,  if  I  brought  forward  and 
answered  objections  against  the  doctrine,  would  he  not 
take  it  for  granted  that  I  was  a  predestinaiian.  He  might 
indeed  think  I  was  wrong,  but  he  never  could  scruple  my 
opinion.  No  doubt,  when  you  have  read  what  I  liave 
written  in  this  book,  however  you  may  condemn  my  sen- 
timent, or  find  fault  with  my  manner  and  oppose  my 
opinion,  yet  you  cannot  possibly  miss  knowing  my  senti- 
ments on  the  doctrine  of  election.  My  arguments  have 
convinced  you  of  that,  if  nothing  else.  Pray,  does  not  the 

N 


1>8 

apostle  convince  you  of  the  same  thing?  He  has  argued 
and  treated  the  subject;  he  has  shown  his  sentiment;  he 
has  introduced  many  texts  and  arguments  in  favour  of  it; 
he  has  answered  objections  against  it;  and  if  you  deny  that 
this  doctrine  is  true,  you  have  either  to  explain  away  the 
apostle's  meaning,  or  you  must  acknowledge  that  you 
differ  from  him  in  sentiment. 

It  is  very  evident,  that  Paul  had  a  very  tender  feeling 
for  the  Jewish  nation,  when  he  could  willingly  be  cruci- 
^ed,  as  Christ  was,  for  them,  if  it  would  have  any  tendency 
to  reclaim  them,  and  bring  them  to  believe  the  gospel; 
and  he  had  continual  sorrow  and  heaviness  on  account  of 
their  obstinacy.  Yet  he  had  so  much  firmness,  that  the 
tender  feelings  of  his  heart  could  not,  in  the  least  degree, 
sway  his  judgment  in  this  important  point.  His  very 
heart's  desire  and  prayer  for  Israel  was  that  they  should 
be  saved:  but  still  he  held  firmly  to  the  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion. But  my  opponent,  out  of  pity  to  the  non-elect,  will 
deny  one  of  the  most  important  truths  in  the  bible,  even 
the  radical  plan  and  purpose  of  the  whole  gospel,  in  order 
that  all  may  have  an  equal  chance;  not  considering,  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  by  his  plan,  unliinges  the  whole  bu- 
siness for  the  want  of  a  di^  ine  purpose  to  save  any.  Any 
person  might  sec,  that  on  that  plan,  e\  ery  one  who  would 
be  saved  must  be  saved  by  works  and  not  by  grace;  and 
consequently  none  would  or  could  be  saved  at  all. 

Paul  knew  that  he  was  elected,  not  only  a  chosen 
vessel,  to  preach  the  gospel,  but  even  separated  from  his 
mother's  womb;  and  according  to  that  divine  purpose, 
called  on  his  w  ay  to  Damascus,  not  only  to  be  the  apostle 
of  the  gentiles,  but  also  to  be  a  christian:  and  he  ac- 
knowledges, "  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  am  what  I  am;" 
and  he  gives  himself  as  an  instance  of  one  of  the  remnant 
who  were  saved  by  the  election  of  grace,  (Rom.  11.  1.) 
and  says,  that  the  rest  were  blinded.  (Ver.  7,  8,  9,  10.) 


9.9 

From  all  these  things  we  must  conclude,  that  Paul 
was  in  favour  of  election;  and  having  evident  proof  of 
this,  we  have  the  mind  of  God,  because  the  apostle  was 
inspired:  and  not  only  so,  but  his  arguments  are  indeed 
unanswerable.  I  hope  I  will  ever  feel  it  my  duty,  my  ho- 
nour, iind  my  interest,  to  yield  my  sentiments  to  men 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  inasmuch  as  the  doc- 
trine of  election  is  so  fully  revealed  in  the  word  of  God, 
so  positively  asserted  and  so  fully  and  by  so  many  va- 
rious ways  proven,  we  who  arc  sinners  and  are  entirely 
dependent  on  divine  mercy,  in  whatever  way  God  is 
pleased  to  bestow  it,  ought  to  resign,  and  say,  with  gra- 
titude, ''  Thy  will  be  done." 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

rarious  ohjectioiis  answered.  Reprobation  defined. 

What  is  reprobation?  My  opponent  says,  it  is  God's 
making  a  man  to  be  damned.  Men  opposed  to  the  doc- 
trine of  election  have  habituated  themselves  to  speak 
rashly;  they  consequently,  by  their  own  expressions,  raise 
a  phantom  which  they  fight  with  virulence,  when  the  doc- 
trine of  election  says  no  such  thing;  consequently  their 
principal  arguments  are  beating  the  air;  fighing  where 
there  is  nothing  opposing  them. 

The  doctrine  of  election  says,  that  God  made  all  things 
with  a  divine  purpose,  and  that  this  purpose  was  his  own 
glory.  If  the  creature  deserved  it  God  would  glorify  him- 
self in  the  happiness  of  his  creature;  but  if  the  creature 
would  sin 'against  him,  he  would  glorify  himself  in  pu- 
nishing him  justly  for  his  crimes.  And  also,  that  when  the 
creature  had  sinned,  he  chose,  of  his  free  and  unmerited 
grace,  to  save  as  many  as  he  saw  fit,  and  to  leave  the  rest 
to  suffer  the  desert  of  their  crimes. 


100 

God,  foreseeing  that  man  would  fall  from  eternity,  laid 
his  infinite  plan  to  glorify  his  sovereign  mercy,  in  the  re- 
demption of  as  man}'  as  he  chose,  and  to  leave  the  rest, 
as  he  did  the  fallen  angels,  to  glorify  his  inflexible  justice. 
Who  can  say  that  this  is  unjust?  Ought  not  God  to  pu- 
nish a  sinner?  and  if  he  chooses  to  save  someof  tl^m,  is 
it  any  harm  for  him  to  do  so? 

Therefore,  reprobation  is  merely  God's  leaving  some 
out  of  the  number  of  those  whom  he  chose  to  save,  who 
are  justly  left  to  act  for  themselves,  and  to  receive  the 
just  reward  of  their  doings,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad. 
This  is  all  that  the  doctrine  of  election  ever  did,  or  ever 
could  do,  as  to  the  reprobate.  But  this  is  the  direct  re- 
verse of  making  them  to  be  damned ;  for  it  is  just  leaving 
them,  without  any  purpose  of  mercy,  to  suffer  for  their 
crimes. 

Now  I  ask,  can  any  sinner  suffer  by  election?  If  he  is 
so  happy  as  to  be  in  the  elect  number,  he  is  an  infinite 
gainer:  if  not,  he  is  no  gainer,  but  he  loses  nothing.  No 
man  is  lost  because  another  is  saved.  Election  is  the  very 
radical  cause  of  saving  thousands;  but  it  never  was,  nor 
can  possibly  be,  the  cause  of  losing  one.  Election  is  not 
the  cause  of  the  non-elect's  being  lost,  for  they  would 
have  been  lost,  even  had  it  never  been.  It  is  only  the 
cause  of  the  elect's  being  saved,  and  leaves  the  rest  just 
as  they  were.  It  does  not  diminish  in  the  least,  from  their 
power  or  privileges,  but  only  does  not  purpose  their 
salvation. 

But  my  opponent  says  "If  I  am  not  elected,  I  must 
''  certainly  be  lost,  if  the  doctrine  of  election  be  true."  I 
grant  it  indeed;  but  why  do  you  complain?  You  would 
be  no  more  certainly  lost  with  election  than  without  it. 
If  you  are  a  non-elect,  you  are  in  the  very  situation  in 
which  you  wish  to  be,  and  wish  the  whole  world  to  be. 
The  very  doctrine  you  contend  for,  and  violently  reproach 
us^for  not  acceding  to,  would  inevitably  fix  the  whole 


101 

Face  of  Adam,  in  the  very  situation  in  which  you  now 
suppose  yourself  to  be.  For  your  doctrine  of  non-elec- 
tion is  the  very  same,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as  our 
doctrine  of  reprobation.  Yet  you  think  hard  of  election, 
because  it  reprobates  some.  "O  fools,  and  slow  of  heart 
*'  to  believe." 

Will  not  a  non-elect  have  as  good  a  chance  for  salva- 
tion, in  every  respect  whatsoever,  as  any  man  could  have, 
even  if  the  doctrine  of  election  were  not  true?  Election 
does  not  in  the  least  degree  infringe  on  the  privileges  or 
the  power  of  a  non-elect;  it  only  leaves  him  in  the  very 
state  in  which  he  is  by  nature.  If  he  wants  to  work,  the  law 
gives  him  every  opportunity  to  try  his  best ;  if  he  wants 
to  make  an  atonement  for  himself,  the  law  asks  him  to 
do  it,  and  will  make  him  do  it  at  last,  whether  he  is  will- 
ing or  not.  Election  hinders  none  of  these  things.  It  does 
not  make  the  sinner  weaker  than  he  would  be  without  it; 
and  if  the  non-elect  would  believe,  election  would  not 
hinder  him:  and  if  he  would  believe  he  certainly  v/ould 
be  saved  according  to  the  offer  of  the  gospel,  and  election 
would  not  hinder  the  gospel  to  save  him,  only  his  faith 
would  be  his  own  and  not  grace  or  the  gift  of  God;  but 
election  would  say  nothing  either  for  or  against  him,  for 
it  has  nothing  to  do  with  him  any  how. 

And  when  the  non-elect  fails  of  keeping  the  law,  and 
of  faith,  and  of  every  part  of  salvation,  election  has  no 
hand  in  it  at  all.  And  when  he  is  damned  for  want  of 
faith,  of  righteousness,  or  of  good  works,  election  has 
nothing  to  do  in  the  business  from  first  to  last.  The  non 
elect  are  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  in  the  very  same  situ- 
ation, as  to  the  possibility  of  their  salvation,  as  they  would 
have  been,  if  there  never  had  been  one  chosen  to  salva- 
tion, only  making  allowance  for  the  external  offer  of  the 
gospel. 

Then  why  does  my  opponent  cry  out  against  the  doc- 
trine of  election,  because  it  reprobates  only  a  part  of 


102 

mankind,  when  he,  by  his  doctrine,  reprobates  the  whole. 
"  Thou  art  inexcusable  O  man  whosoever  thou  art  that 
"judgest,  for  wherein  thou  judgest  another  thou  con- 
*'  demnest  thyself;  for  thou  that  judgest  dost  the  same 
"  things." 

My  opponent  truly  puts  on  a  romantic  appearance 
here;  when  he  supposes  himself,  or  any  other  person,  to 
be  a  non-elect,  all  is  considered  as  lost,  and  he  cries  out 
in  despair;  but  when  his  own  doctrine  places  him  and  all 
mankind  in  the  very  same  situation,  he  sits  easy  and  has 
great  hopes  of  salvation;  when,  at  the  same  time,  he  denies 
that  God  has  any  design  to  save  either  him  or  any  other 
person.  Pray,  why  does  he  despair  of  salvation,  when  he 
supposes  himself  not  elected ;  and  yet  hope  for  salvation, 
when  he  supposes  none  to  be  elected?  Can  he  imagine  God 
will  save  him,  because  he  designs  to  save  none?  Surel}^ 
although  I  grant  that  my  opponent  may  be  a  sensible  man 
in  many  things,  yet  he,  as  a  man  of  candor,  must  acknow- 
ledge he  has  missed  a  figure  here ;  '*  Nemo  semper  sapit."* 

But  my  opponent,  still  fond  of  maintaining  his  point, 
argues  that  God  proposes  salvation  on  the  condition  of 
faith.  If,  therefore,  the  sinner  improves  his  opportunity, 
and  believes,  then  God  will  save  him,  according  to  his 
offer.  All  this  is  granted.  The  doctrine  of  election  main- 
tains this  very  system.  But  the  question  is,  will  any  sinner 
believe  of  himself?  Must  not  God  by  his  word  and  Spirit 
persuade  him  to  believe?  And  if  you  say  he  must  repent 
and  turn  to  God,  I  ask  does  not  God  give  repentance, 
and  dispose  a  sinner  to  turn  to  God?  I  have  already  proven 
that  all  those  things  are  the  gifts  of  God.  If,  therefore, 
God  gives  faith  and  repentance,  is  not  the  whole  business 
dependent  on  God?  God  could  not  give  faith  or  any  other 
grace  without  an  unchangeable  purpose  to  do  so.  So  that 
it  comes  to  the  sam.e  thing  at  last ;  and  the  apostle  Paul  is 

*  "  No  man  is  always  wise."  It  is  always  a  sign  of  wisdom  to  ac- 
knowledge an  error;  but  fools  will  always  standout  right  or  wrong. 


103 

right  when  he  sums  up  the  whole  in  a  parenthesis  (Eph. 
2.  5.)  "By  grace  ye  are  saved." 

To  make  this  matter  plain,  let  us  suppose  two  persons 
A.  and  B.  We  will  suppose  A.  to  be  in  the  situation  in 
which  my  opponent  thinks  all  mankind  to  be,  viz.  a  non- 
elect,  or  in  a  non-elected  state.  And  B.  to  be  one  of  the 
elect. 

1.  A.  liears  the  gospel,  enjoys  the  offers  of  salvation 
through  Christ,  and  attends  daily  on  the  various  means  of 
grace;  yet  without  any  purpose  in  God  to  save  him.  Yet 
if  he  would  believe  and  repent  he  would  be  saved.  Now, 
A.  must  eitlier  believe  of  himself,  or  God  must  persuade 
him  to  believe,  or  give  him  faith  which  is  the  same  thing, 
otherwise  he  must  be  damned.  I  ask,  would  he  believe  of 
himself?  It  is  acknowledged,  and  I  have  already  proven, 
that  he  could  not;  that  is,  he  is  so  naturally  wicked,  that 
he  never  would  believe  in  Christ,  unless  he  was  drawn  to 
him  by  the  Father  (John  6.  44.)  But  according  to  the 
supposition,  God  has  no  purpose  or  design  to  draw  him, 
for  that  would  be  election.  Therefore  it  must  follow,  that 
he  might  attend  on  the  means  of  grace,  and  hear  the  gos- 
pel, but  he  never  would  believe.  God  would  never  give 
him  his  Spirit  to  accompany  the  word  with  power;  he 
never  intended  to  do  it,  and  he  never  will  or  can,  because 
he  is  unchangeable.  So  that  with  all  the  opportunities  A. 
enjoys  he  will  be  lost  at  last.  Surely  any  person  can  see 
that  this  would  be  the  case  with  the  whole  world,  if  elec- 
tion did  not  prevent  it.  It  makes  me  really  sorry  to  think 
of  a  person  denying  the  very  grounds  of  the  salvation,  even 
of  his  own  soul ! 

2.  B.  by  the  supposition  is  one  of  the  elect.  But,  how- 
ever happy  his  circumstances  arc,  he  enJG}s  it  all  in  con- 
sequence of  election.  Had  it  not  been  for  God's  own 
eternal  purpose  to  save  B.  he  would  have  been  in  the 
very  same  circumstances  in  which  A.  is  supposed  to  be, 
and  this  would  have  been  the  case  a\  ith  the  whole  race  of 


i©4 

Adam,  were  my  opponent's  doctrine  true.  It  is  not  the 
gospel  that  saves  a  sinner,  but  God  by  means  of  the  gospel. 
(1  Cor.  1.  23,24.) 

But,  blessed  be  God,  he  has  an  unchangeable  purpose 
to  save  B.  who  by  nature  is  as  wicked  and  as  helpless  as 
A.  and  indeed,  perhaps,  worse  by  practice.  "  It  is  not  of 
"  him  that  willeth,  or  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God  that 
"  showeth  mercy." 

God  not  only  foresaw  that  B.  would  believe,  but  he 
foreknew  that  he  would  believe;  faith  being  God's  own 
gift,  he  could  not  foresee  that  B.  would  believe,  without 
determining  to  give  him  faith.  The  time,  place,  and 
means  were  all  appointed.  And  before  this  time  came,  B. 
Avent  on  like  A.  careless  and  thoughtless,  without  faith, 
without  repentance,  or  any  other  saving  grace;  and  would 
have  continued  on  till  death,  with  A.  only  election  pre- 
vented. 

But  now  let  us  suppose  the  time  to  be  come,  when  B. 
is  to  be  brought  in.  Here  I  will  not  describe  the  whole 
process  of  B's.  exercises,  but  only  such  particulars  as  will 
be  necessary  to  my  argument.  In  order  to  persuade  B.  to 
believe,  the  gospel  is  preached;  A.  and  B.  both  hear  it. 
But  God  by  his  Spirit  accompanies  it  with  power,  not  to 
A.  but  to  B.  the  consequence  is  B.  gets  a  sight  of  his  lost 
state.  He  feels  himself  a  sinner.  He  is  made  to  cry 
"  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  Perhaps  A.  observes, 
stares,  and  wonders  at  the  weakness  and  folly  of  B.  as  he 
may  call  it.  But  B.  can  get  no  rest  until  he  gets  a  view  of 
the  gospel.  At  the  appointed  time  he  discovers  the  full 
and  free  offers  of  salvation  through  Christ.  He  is  per- 
suaded to  believe.  He  consequently  surrenders  up  his 
heart  to  Christ,  and  by  faith,  which  God  has  thus  given 
him,  he  is  saved.  All  upon  the  plan  of  God,  according  to 
his  own  eternal  purpose  which  he  purposed  in  himself. 

Thus  you  see  that  election  does  not  destroy  the  use  of 
means,  or  the  free  agency  of  the  creature,  or  supersede  the 


105 

necessity  of  faith,  or  any  other  grace;  but,  on  the  contrar\ , 
it  establishes  the  whole  and  insures  salvation  to  the  lost 
sinner,  according  to  the  unchangeable  perfections  of  God, 
and  that  without  it,  it  would  be  impossible  for  one  soul 
ever  to  be  saved. 

It  must  undoubtedly  be  a  truth  that  a  sinner  must  be 
saved  either  by  works  or  by  grace.  But  the  bible  denies 
salvation  by  works;  therefore  it  is  by  grace.  It  is  also  evi- 
dent that  God  must  give  the  grace  necessary  for  salvation. 
We  also  are  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  God  gives  that 
grace  by  an  eternal  purpose,  or  else  there  must  be  a  change 
in  the  divine  mind ;  but  it  is  impossible  for  God  to  change ; 
therefore  every  soul  who  is  saved  is  saved  by  an  un- 
changeable decree  of  election. 

Does  my  opponent  acknowledge  that  God  is  unchange- 
able? How  then  can  he  deny  the  doctrine  of  election? 
Does  he  acknowledge  free  grace  as  the  only  gift  of  God 
in  a  sinner's  salvation?  And  that  God  is  unchangeable  in 
his  gifts  and  purposes?  And  can  he  deny  election  too? 
How  inconsistent  must  this  be! 

It  is  thought  by  some  that  the  doctrine  of  election  is 
very  difficult  to  understand,  and  very  distressing  to  seri- 
ous minds,  and  in  short,  that  we  have  little  or  no  business 
with  it.  I  answer, 

1.  I  can  see  no  difficulty  in  understanding  it.  It  is  true 
we  cannot  know  who  are  elected,  and  who  are  not;  we  can- 
not tell  the  number,  neither  is  it  necessar}^  that  we  should. 
But  the  nature  of  election  is  as  simple  a  thing  as  any  doc- 
trine in  the  bible.  It  is  only  God  determining  to  save 
whom  he  will,  and  making  his  own  choice  amongst  the 
guilty  children  of  men,  according  to  his  sovereign  will. 
There  can  be  no  difficulty  here.  And  as  to  reconciling 
some  difficulties  as  to  the  common  calls  of  the  gospel 
to  the  non-elect,  we  need  not  conceive  ourselves  under 
obligations  to  solve  every  question  on  that  subject,  in 
order  to  understand  election. 

O 


106 

Not  only  so,  but  for  a  subject  to  be  hard  to  understand 
is  no  objection  to  the  truth  of  it.  There  are  many  things 
both  in  divinity  and  in  natural  philosophy  very  difficult, 
and  even  impossible  to  understand,  which  nevertheless, 
are  true;  and  our  not  being  able  to  understand  them  is  no 
reason  why  we  should  deny  that  they  are  true.  Who  un- 
derstands the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  the  incarnation  of 
Christ,  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  the  immortal 
state  of  futurity?  Must  we  deny  these  things,  when  the 
bible  declares  them  to  be  true?  Who  understands  the 
union  of  the  soul  and  body,  the  vegetation  of  plants,  the 
power  of  the  magnet,  or  even  the  common  doctrine  of 
cohesion,  or  attraction,  or  gravitation?  These  things  are 
found  to  be  true  by  experience  and  fact,  but  not  by  the 
capacities  of  our  own  understandings  to  comprehend  the 
nature  and  reason  of  such  cases.  It  is  a  fact  that  we  meet 
with  many  things  every  day,  which  we  can  give  no  satis- 
factory reason  for,  yet  we  must  acknowledge  them  true 
because  they  are  facts.  My  little  boy  must  have  a  knife 
or  an  ax  to  split  his  chip,  because  he  knows  by  experi- 
ment that  he  cannot  do  it  without  a  tool;  and  when  he 
gets  it  split  all  his  art  cannot  put  it  together  again  as  it 
was  before.  My  little  son  knows  this  is  true ;  but  sir  Isaac 
Newton  could  not  tell  the  reason  why.  So  that  want  of 
understanding  is  no  argument  against  the  truth,  attested 
either  by  facts  or  by  sufficient  authority. 

2.  I  grant  that  serious  minds  are  often  hurt  and  sorely 
distressed  in  consequence  of  a  wrong  use  of  the  doctrine 
of  election.  But  we  should  never  find  fault  with  any  thing 
because  it  is  misused.  However  excellent  this  doctrine  is 
in  its  nature  and  effect,  yet  it  is  not  beyond  the  reach  of 
abuse;  and  I  confess  there  is  no  situation  so  unhappy  as  a 
Rtiite  of  despair;  and  when  a  person  concludes  that  he  is 
not  elected  he  must  have  despairing  thoughts  of  himself. 
But  all  s  >ch  persons  cupht  to  consider  that  God  in  his 
word  ha.  characterized  the  elect  by  their  effectual  calling. 


107 

but  he  has  given  no  possible  way  to  know  that  any  man 
this  side  of  time  is  of  the  non-elect  number,  especially  if 
he  enjoys  the  gospel.  So  that  all  such  distressing  conclu- 
sions are  mere  conjecture;  and  it  is  unjust  to  blame  elec- 
tion for  what  we  bring  on  ourselves  by  our  own  ill-founded 
notions. 

Not  only  so,  but  I  have  already  shown  that  were  it  not 
for  election,  or  a  divine  purpose  to  save,  despair  must  be 
the  inevitable  consequence,  and  that  not  by  mere  conjec- 
ture but  founded  on  the  impossibility  of  salvation. 

3.  From  all  this  it  appears  that  if  we  are  so  simple  as  to 
think  we  have  nothing  to  do  with  election,  yet  election 
has  something  to  do  with  us;  and  it  is  well  for  any  man 
that  it  has  who  will  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
We  ought  therefore,  instead  of  cavilling  with  this  doc- 
trine, which  is  the  very  radical  cause  of  our  salvation,  to 
give  diligence  to  make  our  calling  and  election  sure,  as 
the  bible  directs  us. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Objections  farther  answered. 

But  to  vindicate  one  of  the  most  interesting  doctrines, 
and  to  satisfy  the  minds  of  those  who  feel  disaffected  on 
this  subject  we  shall  attend  to  some  other  objections  which 
are  frequently  offered  against  it. 

It  is  objected  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 

This  objection  takes  scripture  ground,  and  claims  the 
issue  without  considering  the  meaning  of  those  scriptures. 
I  grant  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons;  for  he  gives 
grace  and  salvation  to  Jew  and  gentile,  to  bond  and  free, 
to  high  and  low,  to  rich  and  poor.  He  used  to  confine  his 
gifts  to  the  tribes  of  Israel,  but  now  he  extends  the  riches 


108 

of  his  gospel  to  the  gentiles  of  every  name  and  circum- 
stance, but  still  in  such  a  way  as  he  himself  sees  fit. 

In  another  sense  God  has  respect  to  persons.  He  had 
respect  to  Abel  and  to  his  sacrifice,  but  to  Cain  and  to  his 
sacrifice  he  had  not  respect.  He  has  respect  to  the  lowly, 
but  not  the  proud.  At  this  day  he  has  not  respect  to  the 
Jews,  but  has  to  the  gentiles;  and  thousands  of  instances 
stand  forward  to  this  day,  and  have  in  all  ages  of  the  world, 
which  plainly  show^  that  God  always  had  respect  both  to 
persons  and  nations.  Both  the  common  dispensations  of 
God's  providence,  and  of  his  grace  and  gospel  are  all  be- 
stowed in  a  thousand  forms:  some  are  rich  and  some  are 
poor;  some  are  sick  and  some  are  well;  some  are  blessed 
with  fine  talents  and  opportunities,  others  left  to  bare  com- 
mon sense;  and  others  again  are  mere  idiots;  some  have 
the  gospel  statedly  and  powerfully,  others  are  but  seldom 
blessed  with  the  glad  tidings;  and  thousands  never  hear  of 
the  name  of  Jesus  at  all. 

But  God  gives  grace  to  whom  he  pleases,  and  when 
any  believe  in  Christ  they  are  accepted,  let  them  be  of 
what  nation  or  circumstances  they  may.  This  is  the  sense 
in  which  we  are  to  take  all  such  texts,  and  consequently 
they  can  be  no  objection  to  the  doctrine  of  election.  My 
opponent  himself  agrees  to  free  grace,  and  this  objec- 
tion militates  as  much  against  a  partial  bestowment  of 
grace,  as  it  does  against  the  purpose  to  bestow  it. 

But  it  is  still  said,  it  is  not  fair  for  God  to  choose  one 
and  not  another;  let  him  give  all  an  equal  chance;  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right,  &c. 

This  is  the  argument  that  generally  prevails  with  our 
adversaries;  and  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  every  one 
who  denies  the  doctrine  of  election  grounds  the  most  of 
his  arguments  radically  on  this  objection.  This  is  truly 
astonishing,  for  two  reasons.  There  is  nothing  more  easily 
demonstrated  than  the  falsehood  of  this  objection;  and 
Paul  on  this  very  subject  as  we  have  already  seen,  by  di- 


109 

\  ine  inspiration  has  invalidated  this  identical  objection 
seventeen  hundred  years  ago,  (Rom.  9.  14 — 18.) 

1.  How  can  it  be  unjust  lor  God  to  leave  some  to  perish 
when  he  in  justice  might  have  left  all"?  Certainly  it  it  is 
unjust  in  the  Divine  Sovereign  to  leave  apart  of  mankind 
to  sufi'er,  it  \\^ould  have  been  more  so  to  leave  the  whole; 
and  it  must  consequently  be  unjust  for  him  to  leave  all  the 
devils  to  perish.  There  is  no  complaint  about  the  case  oi 
the  devils  at  all.  God  could  no  doubt  save  the  devils  as  easy 
as  man.  Why  not  complain  in  their  case?  He  left  them;  he 
has  also  left  some  of  us.  Pray  is  there  more  injustice  hi 
choosing  one  man  and  not  another  than  in  choosing  men 
.instead  of  devils?  All  had  sinned,  and  were  justly  liable 
to  punishment.  Do  any  complain  of  injustice  for  fear  they 
are  not  chosen?  they  have  no  more  right  to  complain 
than  Satan  has.  Satan  sinned  first,  and  I  dare  say  he  is 
angry  because  he  was  not  chosen;  for  no  doubt  he  thinks 
he  had  the  first  right  to  mercy  when  he  first  stood  in  need 
of  it;  and  if  wretchedness  gives  a  claim  in  justice,  doubt- 
less Satan  had  it  first. 

Ah!  but  you  say,  give  all  an  equal  chance.  Why  pray, 
suppose  God  was  willing  to  show  his  wrath,  and  had  ves- 
sels of  wrath  at  hand  fitted  to  destruction,  would  justice 
contradict  it?  No,  certainly  justice  would  not,  and  could 
not;  and  when  you  do  it  you  act  an  unjust  and  arrogant 
part;  and  no  doubt  but  Satan  himself  is  carping  at  God's 
procedure.  Your  argument  proves  too  much  and  a  great 
deal  more  than  you  want  it  to  do.  It  proves  that  God  gives 
and  always  did  give  an  equal  chance  to  all  the  world. 
Therefore  the  old  world  had  an  equal  chance  with  Noah's 
posterity.  Ham  and  Canaan  had  an  equal  chance  witli 
Shem  and  his  posterity.  The  Canaanites,  Philistines, 
Egyptians,  Edomites,  Moab  and  Ammon,  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and  all  the  nations  round  about  had  an  equal 
chance  with  the  posterity  of  Abraham  the  chosen  people 
of  God.  The  Jews  who  arc  now  under  the  curse  enjoy 


110 

equal  privileges  with  the  gentiles  who  are  the  church  of 
Christ.  China,  Tartary,  Arabia,  Caffraria  and  the  Hot- 
tentots enjoy  equal  advantages  with  Great  Britain.  The 
Creek  Indians,  the  Chickasaws  and  Cherokees,  with  all 
the  tawny  tribes  west  of  the  Mississippi  are  on  equal  foot- 
ing with  the  United  States  of  America. 

Are  these  things  so?  Have  they  ever  been  so?  Why 
does  not  my  objector  bring  forward  his  objection?  Is  God 
so  partial  as  all  this?  Now  you  say,  God  must  give  all  an 
equal  chance.  Pray,  if  it  is  unjust  for  God  to  save  some 
and  not  others,  is  it  not  equally  unjust  for  him  to  give  the 
gospel  to  some  and  not  others?  Why  this  manifest  in- 
equality? Why  did  not  God  grant  the  glorious  privileges 
of  the  Jews  to  the  Egyptians?  Was  it  not  unjust  to  make 
such  a  difference?  Why  was  there  a  difference  betwixt 
Jews  and  gentiles?  They  ought  to  have  been  used  alike. 
Is  a  Cherokee's  soul  as  precious  as  mine?  Certainly.  Then 
why  do  I  enjoy  the  gospel  and  he  not?  Now,  these  are 
facts  you  cannot  deny;  yet  your  objection  militates  as 
much  against  them,  as  it  does  against  the  doctrine  of 
election. 

2.  With  what  face  can  any  man  bring  forward  this  ob- 
jection, when  the  inspired  apostle  has  already  answered  it, 
when  he  was  vindicating  this  very  doctrine?  Does  it  not 
argue  a  degree  of  obstinacy  and  fortitude?  For  a  man  to 
use  me  so,  would  be  nothing,  because  I  might  be  wrong; 
but  to  urge  an  objection  again,  after  an  inspired  apostle 
has  laid  it  aside,  and  even  to  make  it  a  turning  point, 
requires  more  boldness  than  any  sinner  ought  to  have. 
Look  but  one  moment  at  Paul's  answer  to  your  objection; 
he  quotes  a  sentence  of  God  to  Moses:  "I  will  have 
"mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy;  I  will  have  com- 
"  passion  on  whom  I  will  have  compassion;  and  whom  he 
"will,  he  hardeneth."  This  language  is  indeed  like  God! 
How  sublime!  What  authority,  majesty  and  sovereignty 
is  here!  But  my  friend  levels  his  whole  objection  against 


Ill 

it.  He  says  it  is  unjust;  it  is  not  fair;  he  ouglit  to  give 
every  one  an  equal  chance.  Suppose  God,  the  glorious 
Sovereign,  does  as  he  tells  Moses  he  will  do,  and  as  Paul, 
in  answer  to  your  objection,  tells  you  he  will  do;  pray, 
will  it  not  invalidate  your  objection,  and  establish  the 
doctrine  of  election  in  spite  of  it?  Will  you  fetch  it 
forward  again,  and  impeach  not  only  his  word,  but  even 
his  divine  and  sovereign  procedure? 

But  my  opponent  persists,  notwithstanding  all  that  has 
been  said  in  reply  even  by  Paul  himself.  "Why  doth  he 
"  yet  find  fault,  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will?"  If  the  sin- 
ner is  not  saved,  whose  fault  is  it?  Why  is  he  condemned 
when  God  would  not  have  mercy  upon  him? 

I  will  not  say  one  word  to  this  objection  here,  but  only 
refer  my  reader  to  the  11th  chapter  to  the  Romans;  also  I 
have  explained  that  sovereign  answer  which  the  apostle 
has  given  to  this  bold  objection.  I  sincerely  wish  that  ca- 
vilers  at  the  doctrine  of  election  would  read  Paul's  mas- 
terly treatise  on  this  subject.  I  think  if  it  would  not  alter 
their  sentiments,  it  would  at  least  make  them  a  little  more 
modest,  when  they  would  find  such  a  man  as  Paul,  who 
being  dead  yet  speaketh,  to  cope  with.  It  is  surely  a 
serious  matter,  to  bring  forward  objections  against  a 
doctrine  which  has  its  advocates  among  the  inspired  pen- 
men, who  have  spoken  too  plainly  not  to  be  understood. 
And  when  the  apostle  of  the  gentiles  has  given  the  sub- 
ject a  thorough  investigation,  I  think  I  am  authorized 
to  counsel  my  friends  not  to  bring  forward  the  objections 
again,  which  he  has  already  answered.  It  shows  too  much 
disrespect  to  him  who  saw  the  Lord  Jesus  on  his  way  to 
Damascus,  and  who  was  exalted  to  the  third  heaven. 
And  it  shows  too  much  disrespect  to  the  holy  bible  which 
contains  his  inspired  answers  to  those  objections. 

But  my  objector  proceeds  and  I  must  follo^v.  The 
preaching  of  the  gospel  is  useless.  This  objection  is  good 
against  the  objector  but  not  against  me.  He  who  denies 


112 

that  God  has  any  design  to  bless  the  gospel,  or  to  give 
faith  or  any  grace  to  any  one  soul,  has  indeed  no  encou- 
ragement to  preach:  and  if  it  was  really  true  he  might 
preach  to  eternity  without  any  success.  But  if  my  doc 
trine  is  true  I  can  preach  courageously,  even  in  the  midst 
of  apparent  discouraging  circumstances,  for  God  intends 
to  bless  it;  and  when  he  begins  to  fulfil  his  design  the 
stoutest  heart  must  bow  at  a  word.  So  Paul  at  Corinth. 
Did  God  encourage  him  on  your  plan?  "  Hold  not  thy 
"  peace  Paul,  for  I  never  have  had  any  particular  design 
**  to  bless  one  soul  or  change  one  heart  in  this  place." 
What  would  be  the  use  of  Paul's  preaching  then?  None, 
none  absolutely.  But  consistent  with  my  opinion,  Paul 
was  encouraged  to  stay  eighteen  months  in  that  place. 
But  what  did  encourage  him?  This  and  only  this:  Christ 
told  him  "  I  have  much  people  in  this  place."  They  were 
every  one  idolaters  at  this  time,  yet  they  were  Christ's. 
No  wonder  Paul  could  preach  under  such  circumstances. 
But  you  say  preaching  is  of  no  use  to  the  non-elect. 
I  grant  it:  and  what  of  it?  Must  I  deny  election  or  must 
I  quit  preaching  because  the  non-elect  get  no  good?  You 
say  they  are  all  non- elect;  if  that  was  true  indeed  preach- 
ing would  be  vain.  But  can  the  gospel  be  of  more  benefit 
to  your  non-elect  than  mine?  No  certainly. 


II. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Tlw  benefit  of  the  gospePs  being  preached  to  the  non-elect. 
They  are  thereby  rendered  inexcusable. 

Here  a  very  important  question  turns  up,  partly  as  aii 
objection  to  the  doctrine  of  election:  What  benefit  is  it 
for  the  gospel  to  be  preached  to  the  non-elect?  And  how 
do  they  become  inexcusable  for  not  believing  it? 

I  will  endeavour  to  take  a  serious  view  of  this  subject, 
as  I  consider  it  a  matter  of  great  importance  both  to  saints 
and  sinners.  And  here  I  would  premise,  that  it  is  useless 
and  sometimes  dangerous  to  attempt  to  pry  too  deep  into 
the  counsels  of  God;  and  often  when  we  do  so  we  de- 
monstrate our  folly  and  pride  more  than  our  sense  and 
religion.  However,  I  apprehend  that  it  is  not  very  difficult 
to  see  some  good  ends  answered  by  the  gospel's  being 
preached  even  to  the  non-elect.  There  seems  an  incon- 
sistenc}-  indeed  in  this  at  first  sight,  for  we  think,  ^.Nhy 
should  God  offer  salvation  to  a  sinner  when  he  has  no  de- 
sign to  give  it  to  him?  The  objection  is  specious  and 
seems  to  promise  a  refutation  of  the  doctrine  of  election. 
But  here  1  will  make  some  general  remarks. 

1.  It  would  be  most  unreasonable  and  indeed  impious 
to  expect  that  the  wisest  man  in  the  world  could  fully 
understand  all  the  mysteries  of  the  gospel.  Angels  them- 
selves look,  but  cannot  fathom;  much  less  we  whose 
dwelling  is  in  clay.  (1  Pet.  1.  12.) 

2.  When  any  truth  is  proven  by  divine  authority,  it  is 
lawful  and  commendable  for  us  to  take  all  measures  to 
understand  it,  provided  we  do  it  modestly  and  with  due 
respect  to  the  authority  of  the  bible;  but  it  is  impious  and 
rebellious  in  us  to  employ  our  own  ignorance  in  what  we 
cannot  understand,  in  opposition  to  the  truths  revealed •• 

P 


114 

3.  The  first  question  ought  ahvays  to  be,  Docs  the  bible 
say  so?  If  it  does,  we  may  piously  vindicate  to  the  best  of 
our  ability,  but  always  with  an  attachment  to  divine  au- 
thority; but  if  we  cannot  see  we  must  be  silent. 

4.  God's  directing  the  gospel  to  be  preached  promiscu- 
ously, militates  as  much  against  the  doctrine  of  free  grace 
as  election.  For  when  you  vindicate  his  calling  a  sinner 
to  come  to  Christ  when  he  never  gives  him  faith,  I  will 
vindicate  his  calling  without  any  design  to  do  it. 

.5.  It  also  militates  as  much  against  God's  foreknow- 
ledge as  election;  for  if  God  knows  the  sinner  will  never 
believe,  his  conduct  can  no  more  be  vindicated  here  than 
on  the  doctrine  of  election;  for  what  is  the  difference  in 
the  end  betwixt  God's  foreknowing  that  a  thing  will 
never  be  which  depends  on  his  own  agency,  and  his  not 
purposing  to  do  it?  Certainly  there  can  be  none. 

6.  Our  opponents  therefore  gain  nothing  by  advancing 
such  objections.  They  pretend  to  hold  to  free  grace  as 
well  as  we;  and  they  never  pretend  to  deny  God's  fore- 
knowledge; they  never  ask  the  first  question,  which  is, 
Does  the  scripture  prove  it?  but  oppose  their  own  igno- 
rance to  divine  authority  and  think  we  must  do  so  too; 
and  they  think  we  must  explain  every  thing  the  bible 
says;  but  they  ought  to  consider  that  calvinists  have 
more  modesty  and  more  sense  then  to  pretend  to  explain 
ever)'  thing.  We  sometimes  can  give  unansv/erable  argu- 
ments when  the  bible  makes  matters  plain;  but  when  we 
are  driven  by  their  arrogance,  to  give  a  reason  for  every 
thing  which  the  bible  says  a  God  of  infinite  perfection 
does  or  intends  to  do,  we  humbly  satisfy  ourselves  with 
humble  inquiry,  and  leave  the  event  to  infinite  wisdom. 

I  have  admitted  my  opponent  to  lay  in  a  number  of 
objections  to  my  opinion,  and  I  beg  leave  at  this  time  to 
lay  in  some  against  his. 

1.  Is  God  unchangeable  in  all  things;  in  all  his  plans, 
and  purposes? 


115 

2.  Docs  God  give  or  do  every  thing  which  he  does 
give  or  do,  with  design  or  not? 

3.  Docs  God  save  the  sinner,  or  does  the  sinner  save 

himself? 

4.  Does  God  give  conviction,  faith,  pardon,  repen- 
tance, sanctification,  &c.? 

5.  Would  the  sinner  do  any  thing  that  is  good,  unless 
God  would  incline  him  to  it? 

Answer  these  questions  as  the  bible  does,  and  then 
say  whether  God  has  an  unchangeable  design  to  save 
every  sinner  who  is  saved,  or  not.  Agam, 

1.'  Does  God  intend  to  give  conviction,  faith,  repen- 
tanc'e  &c.  to  all,  or  only  to  some?  If  you  say  to  all,  you 
contradict  the  bible.  (Luke  13.  3,  5.  2  Thes.  3.  2.  Heb. 
4.  2.)  If  you  say  to  some,  and  not  to  all,  you  acknow- 
ledge election,  and  give  up  the  point. 

2.  Can  God  know  any  thing  which  he  himself  has  to 
bring  to  pass  by  his  own  agency,  without  a  design  to  - 
bring  it  to  pass?  . 

3.  Can  God  know  that  any  thing  will  be,  without- 
knowing  also  the  things  which  will  produce  it?  Or  in 
otlier  words,  can  he  know  the  effect  without  the  cause? 

4  Is  not  a  sinner's  salvation  effected  by  the  free  gift 
of  God?  Is  not  God's  own  purpose  the  original  cause  ot 
that  gift?  If  therefore,  God  knows  a  sinner's  salvation, 
must  he  not  also  know  his  divine  purpose  to  give  it? 
Answer  these  questions  consistent  witli  your  doctrine. 

5.  Do  difficulties  which  wt  cannot  resolve  make  a 
thin"-  false,  if  the  bible  proves  it  to  be  true? 

6.'  Does  the  bible  say  God  did  predestinate  some; 
chose  some  before  the  world  was;  ordained  some  tocter- 
nal  life;  elected  some  according  to  his  foreknowledge? 
does  it  sav  whom  he  predestinated,  he  called,  justified 
and  glorified?  does  it  say  the  rest  were  blinded?  does  it 
say  that  God  will  have  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have 
merer,  and  whom  he  will  he  hardeneth?  does  it  say  that 


116 

Christ  thanked  his  Father  for  revealing  the  gospel  to 
some,  antl  hiding  it  from  others?  and  many  such  things 
which  I  cannot  now  mention. 

7.  Does  it  say  all  this  and  yet  not  prove  election? 

8.  Does  the  bible  in  one  single  sentence  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  say  that  God  has  not  chosen,  predestinated 
ordained  or  elected  his  people  to  salvation? 

9.  If  there  are  some  difficulties  attending  this  doctrine 
which  we  cannot  resolve,  does  that  make  it  false? 

Answer  these  scriptural  positions  consistent  with  your 
doctrine. 

Once  more:  When  you  say  that  God  elects  a  man 
after  he  believes,  repents,  or  is  converted,  do  you  speak 
good  sense?  Do  you  not  contradict  the  bible?  Do  you 
not  contradict  yourself?  Paul  made  God's  foreknowledge 
even  his  own  will,  the  only  ground  of  election;  you  make 
it  faith,  repentance  and  conversion.  When  you  make 
faith,  repentance  and  conversion,  the  ground  of  election, 
does  faith,  repentance  and  conversion  come  by  free 
grace?  If  not,  where  is  your  doctrine  of  free  grace?  If 
so,  who  gives  them?  and  whom  does  he  choose  to  give 
them  to?  or  does  he  give  by  random,  without  any  choice? 
Can  you  make  these  things  meet  together,  and  steer 
clear  of  works  on  the  one  hand,  and  election  on  the 
other?  Does  the  gospel  do  any  good  to  salvation  unless 
God  gives  his  blessing?  Docs  he  bless  it  to  all  for  salva- 
tion? Does  he  not  bless  it  to  whom  he  pleases?  Can  you 
answer  these  three  questions,  and  steer  clear  of  falsehood 
by  contradicting  both  the  bible  and  facts  on  the  one 
hand,  and  election  on  the  other?  If  you  can  you  must  be 
good  at  darkening  counsel  by  words  without  knowledge. 
In  the  last  place,  God's  unchangeability  consists  in 
two  simple  things :  he  never  drops  a  purpose,  and  he 
never  takes  a  new  one.  He  fulfils  every  purpose  he  has, 
and  never  has  any  more.  But  this  may  be  comprised  in 
one  simple  thing,  (viz.)  his  mind  ycver  alters.  There 


117 

may  be  successions  of"  scenes  and  actions  in  the  divine 
procedure,  ad  infinitum;  but  all  must  be  in  a  perfect 
conformity  to  one  solid  plan,  which  can  never  alter. 
Consequently  the  plan  of  God  will  be  the  same  without 
the  least  possible  variation  at  the  day  of  judgment,  as  it 
ever  was  from  eternity.  I  am  authorized  by  the  bible  to 
say  that  God's  purpose  at  the  day  of  judgment  will  be 
to  bless,  not  merely  believers,  but  Abel,  Abraham,  David, 
Paul,  and  so  individually  every  one  who  will  be  blessed 
on  that  day.  But  this  will  not  be  a  new  plan,  but  the 
identical  same  plan,  without  the  least  degree  of  variation, 
which  he  had  from  eternity.  Now  can  my  opponent 
assert  that  the  premises  of  this  argument  are  false,  or  m}'- 
conclusion  unfair?  And  if  he  can  acknowledge  the  truth 
of  it,  and  yet  deny  that  God  from  eternity  purposed  to 
bless  that  certain  number  individually,  which  shall  be  at 
his  right  hand  at  the  last  day,  and  no  other,  it  will  not,  it 
cannot  possibly  be  because  he  thinks  so;  but  wholly  and 
solely  because  he  will  obstinately  speak  against  the  light 
of  his  own  conscience;  or  otherwise,  he  must  be  cither 
ignorant  or  inattentive. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  same  subject  continued. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  particular  question.  Does 
the  gospel  do  any  good  to  tlie  non-elect?  And  arc  they 
inexcusable  in  not  believing?  This  question  I  divide  into 
two  parts:  the  first  respects  the  benefit  of  the  gospel  to 
the  non-elect ;  the  second,  the  inexcusableness  of  the 
non-elect  in  not  believing.  To  the  first  I  answer.  That 
as  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls,  the  non-elect  receive  no 
benefit  at  all  from  the  gospel.  It  may  be  true  that  the 
gospel  restrains  them  froni  many  sins  which  they  would 


118 

otherwise  commit;  and  consequently  those  of  them  who 
are  privileged  with  the  gospel  may  enjoy  many  ad  van- 
tages  in  this  respect,  inasmuch  as  they  will  not  have  so 
many  sins  to  answer  for,  as  they  would  have  had.  But  I 
cannot  conceive  this  to  be  any  advantage  in  the  main; 
for  their  awful  sin  in  neglecting  and  despising  the  gos- 
pel, which  they  would  not  have  been  guilty  of,  were  it 
not  for  their  opportunities,  will  undoubtedly  overbalance 
in  point  of  malignity,  and  punishment,  all  the  other  sins 
they  would  or  could  possibly  have  committed.  For  it  is 
evident  from  scripture,  that  it  will  be  more  tolerable  for 
even  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  than  for  them. 

At  a  careless  view  of  this  awful  truth,  it  seems  at  first 
sight  shocking  to  those  who  are  disposed  to  deny  God's 
sovereignty,  and  who  wish  his  goodness  to  sinners  to 
hold  all  the  perfections  of  the  Deity  in  absolute  subordi- 
nation. But  the  opposers  of  the  doctrine  of  election 
ought  seriously  to  consider  that  this  very  circumstance 
is  every  whit  as  true  on  the  doctrine  of  free  grace,  as  on 
the  doctrine  of  election.  For  I  can  as  easily  demonstrate 
the  propriety  of  God's  offering  salvation  to  a  non-electj 
as  I  can  his  offering  salvation  to  any  man,  and  not  giving* 
him  faith  to  receive  it;  or  even  to  one,  when  he  knows 
that  he  never  will  receive  it.  lliey  ought  also  to  remem- 
ber that  a  thing  may  be  true,  although  we  do  not  under- 
stand how  it  is,  and  may  not  be  able  to  demonstrate  the 
propriety  of  it.  And  it  never  has  yet  been  proven,  either 
by  reason  or  scripture  that  it  would  be  unjilst  for  God 
to  do  so.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  persons  to 
deny  doctrines,  because  they  cannot  get  over  some  diffi- 
culties which  stand  in  the  way;  and  by  so  doing  they 
often  plunge  themselves  into  difficulties,  tenfold  worse 
on  the  other  hand. 

"Dum  stuiti  vitant  vitia,  in  contraria  currunt."*  Hou. 

*  While  ignorant  persons  avoid  one  fault,  they  run  incautiously 
into  another. 


119 

There  is  notliing  mOTe  plainly  taught  in  the  bible  than 
the  doctrine  of  free  grace.  Yet  this  diffieulty  stands 
against  it;  because  God  evidently  does  not  give  grace  to 
all  to  whom  he  offers  it;  and  because  I  cannot  see  the 
propriety  of  this,  must  I  den}  it,  and  say  we  are  saved 
by  works  and  not  by  grace  ?  God  could  easil}'  have  soft- 
ened Pharaoh's  heait,  but  he  did  not.  Did  not  the  calls 
and  warnings  of  Moses,  and  the  gradual  process  of  judg- 
ments miraculously  coming  upon  him,  tend  to  soften  his 
heart?  Did  not  God  know  that  his  proceedings  toward 
Pharaoh  would  render  him  more  and  more  inexcusable 
and  aggi'avate  his  sin  and  punishment?  \\  hy  then  did  he 
harden  his  heart?  Had  he  softened  his  heart,  he  would 
have  lost  his  divine  purpose  of  showing  his  power;  and 
the  very  design  which  God  had  in  raising  him  up  )vould 
have  been  completely  frustrated.  Yet  Pharaoh  was  inex- 
cusable. Now  must  I  deny  the  whole  of  that  part  of  the 
bible,  because  I  cannot  unravel  the  whole  mystery?  Or 
am  I  obliged  to  unravel  the  whole  mystery  because  I  ac- 
knowledge it  true? 

What  right  had  the  apostle  Peter  to  criminate  the 
Jews  so  highly  for  crucifying  our  Saviour;  ''  Ye  with 
"  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain,"  and  yet  with 
the  same  breath  told  them  that  he  was  deli\'ered  by  the 
determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God? 

When  the  disciples  asJvcd  our  Saviour  to  expound  to 
them  the  parable  of  the  sower,  he  has  this  strange  intro- 
duction. (Mark  4.  11,  12.)  "Unto  you  it  is  given  to 
"  know  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom  of  God;  but  unto 
"  them  that  are  without,  all  things  are  done  in  parables. 
"  That  seeing  they  may  see,  and  not  perceive,  and  hear- 
"  ing  they  may  hear  and  not  understand,  lest  at  any  time 
"  they  should  l^e  converted,  and  their  sins  should  be  for- 
"  given  them."  St.  John  in  chap.  12.  39,  40.  says  of  the 
Jews,  "  Therefore  thev  could  not  believe,  because  that 


•  120 

"  Esaias  said  again,  he  hath  bUnded  their  eyes,  and  har- 
"  dened  their  hearts,  that  they  should  not  see  with  their 
"  eyes,  nor  understand  with  their  heart,  and  be  converted, 
*'  and  I  should  heal  them." 

Yet  our  Saviour  highly  criminates  them  for  their  blind- 
ness and  hardness  of  heart  in  not  believing  him  to  be  the 
true  Messiah.  And  for  their  obstinacy  devotes  their  whole 
nation  to  destruction.  And  Paul  to  the  Romans  (chap.  11. 
7.)  says  that  the  whole  was  blinded  except  those  whom 
the  election  obtained.  Can  my  opponent  unravel  all  these 
difficulties?  Will  he  deny  them  if  he  cannot?  Must  I  do 
it  to  answer  his  objections  against  the  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion? How  unreasonable  are  such  demands!  I  acknow- 
ledge I  cannot  answer  them ;  they  are  too  hard  for  me ;  I 
cannot  fathom  them.  But  I  know  that  an  infinitely  holy  and 
wise  God  does  right;  and  I  know  that  he  did  and  does 
these  very  things ;  the  bible  tells  me  so ;  and  I  do  not  wish 
to  dispute  his  divine  economy,  because  I  cannot  tell  it  all 
over  and  unravel  every  difficulty.  But,  physician  heal 
thyself;  answer  the  objections  against  your  own  doctrine 
of  free  grace,  and  then  I  will  answer  them  against  the 
doctrine  of  election.  But  I  do  not  expect  you  to  do  it, 
for  I  am  not  so  unreasonable;  and  if  you  attempt  it,  you 
can  only  be  wise  by  seeing  your  folly.  But  I  beg  of  my 
friend,  not  to  allow  himself  to  deny  every  thing  he  cannot 
see,  let  God's  word  say  what  it  may  about  it. 

I  answer  again  that  the  gospel  does  no  real  good  to  a 
non-elect,  and  yet  it  does  the  very  same  good  to  a  non- 
elect  as  it  does  to  any  man  who  does  not  believe.  And 
God  is  as  just  in  condemning  anon-elcct  as  he  canpossi- 
blv  be  in  condemning  a  man  for  not  believing,  to  whom 
God  does  not  freely  give  the  grace  of  foith ;  for  every  non- 
elect  who  hears  the  gospel  has  as  much  power  to  believe 
on  Christ  as  the  reprobate  Jews  had,  and  as  Pharaoh  had 
to  believe  Moses. 


121 

But  as  to  tlie  common  blessings  of  providence  in  this 
>vorld  the  non-elect  are  made  equal  sharers  with  the  people 
of  God;  and  often  indeed  arc  allowed  great  portions  of 
the  honors  and  profits  of  this  life,  while  many  of  God's 
dear  chosen  ones  are  destitute,  afflicted,  tormented.  It 
aj)pears  pretty  evident  from  scripture  tliat  all  the  blessings 
of  life,  all  who  are  in  the  world,  especially  those  who  live 
under  the  gospel,  enjoy  in  consequence  of  the  grand  plan 
of  the  gospeh  God  gives  summer  and  winter,  seed-time 
and  harvest  to  the  whole  world  by  covenant;  which  cove- 
nant was  made  Avith  Noah  evidently  for  the  sake  of  the 
church.  God  has  rewarded  wicked  kings  for  services 
done  for  him  in  his  great  management  of  his  kingdom; 
witness  Nebuchadnezzar  and  Cyrus.  God  remembered 
his  covenant  with  Abraham,  and  with  David  in  the  midst 
of  times  of  rebellion  and  captivity.  For  the  church's  sake 
not  only  was  Israel  preserved  through  all  dangers  and 
trials,  as  a  nation,  among  whom  were  thousands  of  the 
non-elect;  but  the  heathens  were  spread  abroad  over  the 
face  of  the  earth  to  give  an  opportimity  for  the  gentile 
church  to  take  place ;  and  the  Jews  are  now  preserved  in 
their  dispersed  state  for  the  sake  of  their  happy  posterity, 
who  shall  be  brought  in,  in  the  fulness  of  time  according 
to  the  promise  of  God  to  his  church.  The  government  is 
put  upon  Christ's  shoulders;  and  the  Father  hath  given 
all  things  into  his  hand;  and  he  hath  promised  to  make  all 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  who 
arc  the  called  according  to  his  purpose.  The  apostle  Paul 
says  expressly  that  Christ  was  given  to  be  Head  over  all 
things  to  his  church. 

On  such  scripture  ground  as  this,  wC  may  venture  to 
let  our  imaginations  range  -a  little,  and  take  a  view  of  the 
woiiderful  dispensations  of  God  in  the  world  for  the  sake 
of  his  elect.  The  non-elect,  i^erhaps,  are  the  principal  sup- 
])Oi  ters  of  the  gospel.  According  to  the  scripture  account 
not  many  wise,  not  many  noble  are  called ;  but  God  hath 

Q 


122 

chosen  the  foolish,  the  weak,  and  the  base  things  of  the 
world.  God's  people  are  generally  poor  and  needy;  the 
men  of  the  world  are  generally  rich  and  affluent.  The 
gospel  with  its  ordinances,  discipline,  and  government, 
volumes  published  for  the  propagation  of  truth,  necessary 
support  of  ministers,  who  are  generally  among  the  poor, 
&c.  requires  not  a  small  portion  of  property  to  support  it; 
and  it  is  to  be  supported  by  the  special  command  of  God. 
For  this  purpose  he  calls  in  the  aid  of  the  world  to  con- 
tribute to  the  maintenance  of  the  church;  and  rewards 
them  bountifully  with  the  good  things  of  this  world  to 
enable  them  to  do  so.  Many  ungodly  parents  have  to  feed 
and  clothe  an  elect  child,  many  wicked  children  to  sup- 
port an  aged  father;  and  many  such  cases  might  be  men- 
tioned which  actually  take  place  every  day.  No  doubt 
the  tribes  of  Indians,  which  have  inhabited  the  wilds  of 
America  time  out  of  mind,  are  continued  to  this  day,  and 
will  be  from  time  to  time  for  the  sake  of  a  happy  pos- 
terity which  God  has  chosen,  and  given  to  his  Son  as  his 
heritage  among  the  heathen;  whom  he  must  also  bring 
to  his  fold  as  the  purchase  of  his  precious  blood.  These 
are  not  groundless  surmises.  Read  the  2d  chapter  of  the 
epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  and  there  you  will  find  how  Paul 
reminds  them  of  their  former  heathenish  state,  for  so  many 
years,  living  in  heathenism,  until  at  length  they  were 
brought  nigh  by  free  grace,  and  as  he  says  to  the  Romans 
ingrafted  into  the  olive  tree.  How  many  thousands  of 
such  circumstances  might  we  notice  from  scripture,  his- 
tory, and  experience,  showing  that  on  the  plan  of  the 
gospel  God  bestows  an  infinite  variety  of  blessings  on  the 
non-elect  for  the  sake  of  his  own  chosen  people. 

Every  suspension  of  punishment  must  be  for  the  gos- 
pel's sake.  Health  and  prosperity  of  every  degree  and 
kind  are  in  consequence  of  Christ's  purchase  for  his  peo- 
ple. The  astonishing  reformation  in  politics  is  confessedly 
in  consequence  of  the  gospel.   Even  deists*  themselves 


123 

have  and  do  ackno^v•ledge  that  the  christian  religion  is  the 
best  trick  of  government  that  ever  was  invented,  and  for 
that  very  reason  have  in  hundreds  of  instances  contri- 
buted largely  to  the  support  of  the  gospel.  I'housands  of 
the  non-elect  have  enjoyed  both  civil,  or  national,  and 
private  advantages  from  this  circumstance.  Although  it 
must  be  acknowledged,  even  with  gratitude,  that  many  of 
God's  children  have  been  and  are  still  called  of  God  to 
t;tke  part  in  civil  government,  yet  it  is  truly  worthy  of  no- 
tice that  the  burden  generally  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  those 
who  in  heart  were  no  great  friends  to  the  cross  of  Christ. 
It  must  be  very  laborious  indeed  to  manage  the  affairs  of 
state,  to  be  conversant,  as  it  were,  with  the  whole  world ; 
to  traverse  sea  and  land,  as  envoys,  plenipotentiaries,  &c. 
to  conduct  armies  by  land  and  sea;  and  also  to  carry  on 
the  extensive  business  of  navigation.  I  truly  think  the 
poor  christian,  who  is  comparatively  but  seldom  called  in 
the  dispensations  of  providence  to  take  an  active  part  iii 
these  laborious  scenes,  may  sit  at  home  with  his  wife  and 
children,  and  pay  his  taxes  freely,  and  thank  his  kind 
Saviour  for  giving  him  so  many  great  men  to  take  the 
burden,  in  the  discharge  of  such  an  important  trust.  But 
God  rewards  them,  even  if  they  are  wicked,  with  the 
lionours  and  profits  of  this  world;  and  if  they  are  true 
friends  to  the  gospel  he  also  rewards  them  with  everlast- 
ing life  and  glory. 

From  the  whole  \it\v  which  I  have  taken  of  the  mattei- 
I  must  conclude  that  although  the  gospel  is  intended  fop 
the  eternal  salvation  of  the  elect  only,  yet  the  non-elect 
enjoy  innumerable  advantages  from  it  in  this  world,  and 
consequently  do  partake  of  some  of  the  benefits  of  the 
death  of  Christ.  And  no  one  on  the  doctrine  of  free  grace, 
and  scarcely  on  the  doctrine  of  works,  can  say  any  thing 
contrary  to  what  has  been  said  if  he  will  r.ttend  to  the  de- 
cisions of  the  hihir. 


124 

CHAPTER  XVir. 

The  non-elect  are  inexcusable. 

1  COME  now  to  the  second  part  of  the  question  under 
consideration.  Are  the  non-elect  inexcusable  for  not  be- 
lieving? This  is  indeed  a  very  important  inquiry.  God 
could  never  be  justified  in  candcmning  any  person  for 
unbelief,  if  the  sinner  can,  on  just  principles,  be  excused 
for  not  believing.  This  question  does  not  embrace  the 
state  of  the  heathen ;  for  the  scripture  does  not  in  the  least 
intimate  that  they  arc  to  be  judged  as  unbelievers;  for 
any  one  must  see  that  they  must  have  no  natural  power 
to  believe  on  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard,  and  that 
they  could  not  hear  without  a  preacher;  and  no  one  could 
preach  to  them  unless  he  were  sent.  (Rom.  10.  14.)  We 
are  therefore  to  confine  our  ideas  to  those  under  the 
gospel. 

I  answer,  they  are  certainly  inexcusable,  and  do  conse- 
quently stand  justly  liable  to  condemnation  for  the  sin  of 
unbelief.  If  our  reason  cannot  fathom  this  mystery,  yet 
let  us  revere  divine  authority.  The  Judge  of  all  the  earth 
will  surely  do  right.  John  3,  18.  "  He  that  believeth  on 
"him  is  not  condemned;  but  he  that  believeth  not  is 
"  condemned  already;  because  he  hath  not  believed  in  the 
"  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God." 

This  is  certainly  to  the  point,  and  is  sufficient  scripture 
authority  to  prove  what  I  have  said.  But  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour is  pleased  in  his  infinite  condescension  to  point  out 
the  reasonableness,  justice,  and  propriety  of  the  case  in 
the  three  following  verses.  "And  this  is  the  condemnation 
"  that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved  dark- 
"  ness  rather  than  light  because  their  deeds  were  evil. 
•'  Forjevery  one  that  docth  evil  hateth  the  li^ht,  neitlier 


125 


"Cometh  to  the  light  lest  his  deeds  should  be  reproved. 
''  But  he  thiit  doeth  truth  cometh  to  the  light,  that  his 
>'  deeds  may  be  made  manifest  that  they  arc  wrought  in 

"  God." 

This  is  the  just  grounds  of  the  condemnation  ol  unbe- 
lievers, that  the  gospel  which  bringeth  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light,  offering  eternal  salvation  to  lost  sinners,  has 
come  into  the  world,  and  men,  through  the  depravity  of 
their  hearts,  loved  sin,  darkness,  error  and  delusion,  and 
chose  to  continue  under  all  their  gloomy  prospects  m 
iniquity  rather  than  yield  to  and  be  directed  by  the  light 
of  the  gospel;  because  their  evil  dispositions  were  such 
that  they  delighted  in  iniquity  rather  than  the  truth.  For 
every  one  in  a  natural  state,  through  his  propensity  to  that 
which  is  evil,  is  possessed  of  a  direct  opposition  to  the 
gospel,  and  consequendy  will  not  come  to  a  submission 
To  the  gospel.  He  will  not  admit  convictions  from  the  trudi 
lest  his  conscience  should  reproach  him  or  he  be  re- 
proved by  the  light  of  the  word  as  an  evildoer;  and  thus 
he  will  continue  in  his  opposition  to  the  gospel  through 
the  vicious  propensity  of  his  own  heart.  But  on  the  other 
hand  he  who  is  disposed  by  divine  grace  to  admit  the 
truth  and  yield  to  conviction,  comes  to  a  sense  of  his 
lost  and  ruined  state  and  gladly  embraces  the  gospel  and 
complies  with  the  terms  of  salvation;  so  that  the  effect 
wrought  in  him  producing  such  a  powerful  change  both 
in  heart  and  life,  disposition  and  conduct  is  manifested  to 
be  wrought  by  or  through  the  \io\ver  of  God  accoriipa. 
nying  the  gospel;  and  the  glorious  consequence  is,  the 
lost  sinner  is  delivered  from  condemnation  and  made 
obedient  to  the  will  of  God. 

I  humblv  conceive  this  will  be  acknowledged  to  be  a 
correct  scriptural  i^iraphrase  of  the  passage;  and  conse- 
quently the  non-elect  who  are  left  to  their  own  will  arc 
•ntirely  incxry^r^ble  for  rejecting  the  gospel,  because  the 


126 

text  declares  that  they  do  it  through  a  wicked  temper, 
hating  that  which  is  good  and  loving  that  which  is  evil. 

The  only  possible  way  that  we  can  vindicate  the  divine 
procedure  on  the  principles  of  free  grace  in  the  condem- 
nation of  the  non-elect  is  by  making  them  have  a  free 
choice  in  their  own  conduct.  This  the  scriptures  evi- 
dently do,  as  we  have  already  seen  above  in  making  the 
cause  of  unbelief,  the  opposition  of  the  heart  to  the  gos- 
pel, and  an  inclination  to  evil.  It  is,  indeed,  a  very  unsa- 
tisfactory answer  to  the  question  to  say  that  we  have  lost 
our  power  by  the  fall,  and  that  God  still  has  a  right  to 
command,  although  we,  by  our  fault,  have  lost  our  power 
to  obey.  It  is  meant  that  we  are  naturajly  as  well  as  mo- 
rally unable  to  believe  or  to  obey  the  gospel;  it  would  be 
impossible  to  vindicate  the  honour  of  the  divine  govern- 
ment in  exacting  duties  by  law  from  rational  creatures 
which  they  were  naturally  unable  to  perform.  And  it 
must  be  forever  inconsistent  to  say  that  a  moral  governor 
still  has  a  right  to  demand  obedience  in  any  one  thing 
when  the  subject  has  no  power  to  perform  it.  A  man 
never  possibly  can  be  under  the  least  obligations  to  do 
what  he  cannot  do;  and  there  is  nothing  in  which  rigorous 
austerity,  cruel  tyranny  and  arbitrary  and  unreasonable  in- 
justice could  appear  more  evident  than  to  require  any 
such  thing.  Attempts  to  vindicate  the  calvinistic  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel  on  such  unwarrantable  principles  have 
done  much  harm,  and,  indeed,  instead  of  vindicating  those 
doctrines  it  has  exposed  them  to  ridicule.  When  I  am 
asked  why  am  I  condemned  for  not  believing  when  I  am 
not  able  to  believe,  if  I  answer  because  I  have  lost  my 
power  by  my  own  fault,  the  question  is  consequently  con- 
tinued. But  how  can  God  justly  require  of  me  what  I 
cannot  do?  If  I  answer  his  right  cannot  be  disannulled  by 
my  lack  of  ability,  we  might  go  on  and  ask  and  answer 
such  questions  fifty  times  over,  and  never  come  any  nearer 


127 
ihe  point;  for  the  question  would  always  caiTy  with  it  a 
refutation  of  the  answer. 

The  truth  is  we  never  have  lost  our  natural  power  to 
perform  our  duty.   Our  moral  power,  as  it  is  called,  or 
more  properly  our  inclination  or  choice  as  to  what  is  good 
we  have  lost;  and  here  lies  the  whole  mystery.   We  are 
really,  fully  and  completely  able  to  believe  in  Christ,  but 
we  are  not  disposed  in  our  hearts  to  do  it.    Inasmuch 
therefore  as  the  non-elect  will  not  believe  on  Christ  when 
he  is  freely  offered  unto  them,  when  they  are  really  able 
to  do  it  and  nothing  to  hinder  them  but  their  own  evil 
disposition,  they  stand  justly  liable  to  condenuiation  and 
are  entirely  inexcusable.   It  is  a  matter  of  vast  importance 
to  have  clear  views  of  this  matter,  for  it  is  on  these  prin- 
ciples only  that  we  can  vindicate  the  doctrine  of  free  grace. 
In  order  to  understand  this  point  let  us  give  it  a  fair  hear- 
ing. 1  observe,  therefore, 

1.  That  the  common  acceptation  of  the  words  can^  caii- 
7iot,  able,  unable,  impossible,  &c.  in  this  case,  as  well  as 
many  other  words  in  other  cases,  not  only  render  our 
meaning  doubtful  when  we  speak  on  the  subject,  but 
often  cause  us  to  mistake  the  meaning  of  the  bible.  Also 
the  fixed  sense  of  the  word  ivill,  it  never  meaning  an\ 
thing  but  choice  or  a  disposition  of  the  heart,  not  being 
sufficiently  attended  to,  causes  us  to  give  up  too  much  to 
the  other  words,  which  are  very  ambiguous  and  uncertain 
both  in  scripture  and  in  common  language,  and  so  much 
so  that  the  meaning  is  often  to  be  ascertained  by  the  sense 
of  the  passage.  The  words  a/n,  cannot,  power,  ability,  &c. 
are  never  applicable  to  the  temper  or  disposhion  of  the 
mind  but  only  to  the  natural  strength  or  capacity  either 
of  the  bodv  or  soul;  and  when  they  are  applied  to  the  dis- 
position the  style  is  hyperbolical,  the  expressions  figura- 
tive, but  the  words  have  not  their  natural  meaning.   The 
word  will  always  supposes  power,  Init  never  means  power, 
Init  the  disposition  to  exert  it.  The  word  poxver  means 


12S 

natural  capacity  or  strength'  when  it  has  its  natural  sense, 
and  sometimes  it  means  authority,  and  sometimes  the  will 
or  disposition  of  the  mind,  in  which  case  it  is  used  not  in 
its  proper  sense  but  figuratively. 

To  make  this  matter  more  plain,  let  me  instance  a  few 
particulars.  When  I  say  I  will  not  go,  I  will  not  do  this 
or  that,  you  without  any  difficulty  understand  me  to  mean 
that  I  could  if  I  would;  and  the  reason  is  not  the  want  of 
power  but  disposition.  If  power  is  lacking  it  is  not  natu- 
ral for  me  to  say  I  will  not,  but  cannot.  Again,  when  I  say 
I  cannot  go,  or  I  cannot  do  this  or  that,  you  immediately 
take  into  view  my  circumstances;  if  I  am  sick  or  if  some 
natural  obstacle  is  in  my  way,  you  understand  me  accord- 
ing to  the  natural  meaning  of  the  words;  you  admit  that 
I  would  if  I  could;  my  will  is  not  blamed  but  I  lack 
strength.  But  if  you  cannot  conceive  any  lack  of  natural 
capacity  you  immediately  understand  me  to  mean  one  of 
two  things,  either  modestly  denying  to  save  an  abrupt  an- 
swer, or  a  strong  declaration  of  my  indisposition;  I  can- 
not, modestly  couching  a  reason,  rather  than  saying  I  will 
not,  or  a  high  intimation  of  the  want  of  will.  When  a 
man  makes  an  offer  of  marriage  to  a  female  who  is  the 
object  of  his  choice,  and  asks  her  consent,  were  she  to 
answer  I  will  not,  he  might  perhaps  think  her  abrupt  in 
her  reply,  but  he  would  understand  her  exactly  as  she 
spoke,  for  the  words  will  or  will  not  are  never  doubtful; 
but  if  she  says  I  cannot,  the  denial  is  either  modest  or 
strong;  modest,  covering  a  reason  which  is  not  expressed, 
and  leaves  room  for  the  question  why;  which  reason  is 
not  want  of  natural  ability,  but  some  motive  which  holds 
back  the  consent  of  the  will;  or  it  is  a  strong  repulse,  yet 
covering  a  reason,  which  reason  is  represented  by  the 
figure  to  be  so  strong  as  to  leave  little  hope  of  the  mind's 
being  changed. 

2.  We  will  now  consider  in  v»'hat  sense  we  are  to  un- 
cterstand  the  scriptures  when  they  use  such* phrases. 


129 

Our  Saviour  says  to  the  Jews  (John  5.  40.)  "  Ye  will 
'*not  come  unto  me  that  yc  might  have  life."  Here  the 
word  will  is  used  with  a  negative,  not;  ye  will  not;  the 
sense  is  definitive  and  to  be  understood  according  to  the 
invarial)le  meaning  of  that  phrase;  and  we  must  do  vio- 
lence to  our  own  common  sense  of  language  if  we  con- 
strue the  words  out  of  their  natural  meaning.  Our  Lord 
means  to  impeach  the  Jews  with  wilfully  rejecting  him, 
and  finds  them  guilty  because  their  unbelief  consisted  in 
the  want  of  disposition  or  positive  unwillingness,  ss  S^eAelg 
tAOeiv.  Ye  are  not  willing  to  come  to  me,  Sec.  A  similar 
expression  is  used  in  Matt.  23.  37.  "  How  often  was  I 
"  willing  to  gather  your  children  together,  and  ye  were 
"not  willing:  I  would  but  ye  would  not."  It  is  impossi- 
ble to  misunderstand  such  expressions;  such  phrases  ne- 
ver have  but  one  meaning,  and  that  is  conve}ed  by  the 
natural  sense  of  the  words. 

But  there  are  other  texts  that  literally  give  us  the  idea 
of  a  natural  impossibility  of  using  the  words  cannot^  &c. 
the  proper  sense  of  which  is  only  applicable  to  capacity 
or  strength.  We  are  not  only  imder  the  necessity  to  put 
a  different  meaning  to  such  phrases  to  reconcile  them 
with  the  texts  above  cited,  the  sense  of  which  cannot  be 
altered ;  but  we  are  sufficiently  warranted  to  do  so,  both  by 
scripture  and  common  custom,  even  among  the  best 
writers  and  speakers;  instances  of  which  in  common  lan- 
guage we  have  already  given. 


R 


13© 

CHAPTER  XVIIl. 

The  no)i -elect  inexcusable. 

Not  many  daj^s  after  Christ  told  the  Jews  that  they 
would  not  come  to  him,  he  again  tells  them  (John  6.  44, 
65.)  ''  No  man  can  come  unto  me  except  the  Father  who 
''  hath  sent  me  draw  him,  &c."  Here  the  word  can^  with 
the  negative  7io  is  used.  In  the  literal  sense  of  the  two 
different  texts,  our  blessed  Saviour  would  directly  contra- 
dict himself  which  plainly  shows  that  the  words  can  not^ 
are  to  be  understood  in  a  figurative  sense;  which  we  have 
already  noticed,  is  a  very  common  case.  For  we  have 
already  seen  that  the  other  text  cannot  be  understood 
differently  from  its  natural  or  proper  meaning.  PFill  not 
never  means,  but  always  implies,  power  without  a  dispo- 
sition to  exercise  it;  but,  cannot  often  loses  its  own  na- 
tural and  proper  sense,  and  is  taken  to  signify  an  opposi- 
tion of  heart  or  want  of  will.  The  two  texts  consequently 
inean  the  same  thing;  the  first  literall}^,  the  other  figura- 
tively. In  the  one,  Christ  tells  the  Jews  that  their  hearts 
were  averse  to  the  gospel;  in  the  other,  he  tells  them  that 
they  w^ould  continue  in  that  unhappy  state  of  unwilling- 
ness except  the  Father  would  draw  them;  or  in  other 
words;  no  man  will  come  to  me  except  the  Father  per- 
suade him.  I  can  easily  make  the  word  can  mean  will^ 
because  it  very  frequently  has  that  meaning;  but  I  never 
can  make  the  word  will  mean  can^  or  rather  roill  not  mean 
can  not^  for  it  never  has  that  meaning.  The  word  draw  in 
the  text  makes  it  evident  that  this  is  what  our  Saviour 
meant.  It  is  indeed  very  improper  to  use  the  word  draw 
to  give  the  idea  of  infusing,  or  implanting  new  natural  ca- 
pacities or  powei"^  in  the  soul;  but  when  we  speak  of 
^vinning   over  the    mind,  changing   the    disposition,  or 


131 

gaining  the  consent,  by  moti\ cs  and  aigumcnts,  it  is  ver) 
natural.  Clirist's  meaning  is  farther  evident  by  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Father  draws:  "  Every  man  therefore 
'*  who  hatli  heard  and  learned  of  the  Father  cometh  unto 
"  me,"  viz.  who  are  taught  of  God  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  so  that  the  mind  is  suitably  influenced,  and  drawn 
over  to  a  cordial  consent,  and  submission  to  the  Lord 
Jes|Lis  Christ.  All  which  shows  that  the  inability  is  a 
moral  one,  consisting  in  the  perverse  disposition  of  the 
heart,  and  is  so  far  from  excusing  the  unbeliever  that  it 
is  the  very  thing  which  renders  him  gnilt}',  and  entirely 
inexcusable. 

Farther  (Rom.  8.  7.)  "  The  carnal  mind  is  enmit}' 
*'  agahist  God.  For  it  h  n(3t  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
"  neither  indeed  can  be."  The  carnal  mind  means  a  sin- 
ful propensity  or  disposition;  the  apostle  says  it  is  opposed 
to  the  mind  of  God,  and  that  it  is  not  obedient  to  tiie  di- 
vine law;  for  a  man's  mind  can  not  be  subject  to  the  will 
of  God  and  disposed  to  evil,  at  the  same  time. 

When  we  say,  we  by  nature  have  no  will  to  that 
which  is  good  we  say  the  truth;  and  when  we  bring  for- 
ward this  text  to  prove  it  we  find  the  doctrine  established 
by  the  authority  of  the  inspired  apostle.  But  if  we  proceed 
to  explain  the  doctrine  we  ought  to  be  careful  not  to  use 
ambiguous  words,  or  we  ought  at  least  to  give  our  phra- 
ses such  a  dress  as  not  to  give  an  idea  contrary  to  the 
apostle's  meaning.  If  we  do  the  simple  doctrine  will  be 
proven;  but  our  explanation  v/ill  not,  because  the  apostle 
did  not  mean  what  we  say.  In  this  very  way  I  ha\  e  a 
thousand  times  proved,  or  rather  attempted  to  jDrove, 
from  scripture  grand  absurdities  and  nonsense.  This  i.s 
the  fatal  way  to  take  sanctuary  in  darkness,  to  support  a 
favorite  point,  and  to  strain  the  scriptures  to  mean  what 
the  divine  writers  never  intended. 

For  instance,  when  I  say  that  by  nature  we  are  inclined 
to  evil;  that  our  will  is  averse  to  that  wliich  is  good;  and 


132 

consequently  we  will  be  opposed  to  God  and  his  law 
while  ever  we  continue  in  our  natural  state;  and  that  it 
is  impossible  in  the  nature  of  things  for  us  to  submit  to 
the  terms  of  the  gospel  while  we  continue  uninfluenced 
by  the  motives  of  the  gospel ;  and  that  in  order  to  bring 
us  to  a  compliance  with  the  divine  will  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  a  change  take  place  in  the  temper  or  dis- 
position of  our  hearts;  which  can  only  be  effected  by  mo- 
tives and  arguments  calculated  to  influence  our  mind,  so 
as  to  bring  us  to  a  choice  of  Christ  as  our  only  salvation: 
When  I  advance  this  doctrine  from  this  text  I  speak 
plainly;  my  words  are  simple,  and  attended  with  such 
circumstances  as  leave  no  ambiguity;  my  reader  is  at  no 
loss;  and  when  he  looks  at  my  text  he  finds  a  clear  proof 
of  what  I  have  said,  and  he  can  rely  upon  my  explana- 
tion. But  if  by  the  force  of  education,  or  for  any  other 
cause  whatever,  I  venture  to  say  *'  Our  will  can  not 
"  choose  any  thing  spiritually  good  until  it  be  renewed  by 
"  the  Spirit  of  Christ,"  no  man  can  understand  what  I 
say,  or  know  certainly  what  I  mean;  and  when  this  text 
is  brought  forward  as  a  proof,  it  proves  nothing,  because 
you  know  not  what  I  wish  it  to  prove.  The  whole  is  am 
biguous,  and  my  sentiments  are  covered  with  darkness. 
Again,  if  I  say  "  God  hath  endowed  the  will  of  man  with 
•'  natural  liberty,  that  it  is  neither  forced,  nor  by  any  ab- 
'•  solute  necessity  of  nature  determined  to  good  or  evil," 
my  ideas  are  clear,  and  my  reader  does  not  mistake  my 
meaning;  and  when  I  quote  James  1.  14.  and  Deut.  30. 
19.  and  John  5.  40.  I  prove  every  particle  of  my  doctrine. 
But  when  I  add  "  Man  by  his  fall  into  a  state  of  sin  hath 
"  wholly  lost  all  ability  of  will  to  any  spiritual  good,"  my 
reader  stops  short.  He  asks  1st  does  the  writer  contra- 
dict what  he  said  before?  Or,  2d  what  does  he  mean? 
He  cannot  answer  the  first  question,  because  he  cannot 
answer  the  second.  And  when  I  quote  Rom.  5.  6,  and  8. 
7.  I  prove  nothing  definite;  for  those  texts,  like  all  other 


133 

such  texts,  are  figurative,  and  consequently  need  the  ge- 
neral scope  to  prove  what  they  mean.  Now  if  I  mean  a 
natural  ability  to  will  1  contradict  what  I  said  before,  and 
I  introduce  these  texts  to  contradict  the  texts  by  which  I 
proved  my  former  doctrine.  But  the  other  texts  are  de- 
terminate in  their  meaning,  but  these  are  figurative,  and 
consequently  cannot  contradict  them  but  must  agree  with 
them;  I  therefore  lose  both  my  proofs  and  my  doctrine. 
But  if  I  only  mean  moral  ability  I  might  have  saved  both 
ink,  paper,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  trouble  of  my  reader, 
and  perhaps  prevented  a  grand  mistake  by  leaving  out  the 
word  ability,  and  simply  saying  that  man  by  his  fall  has 
wholly  lost  all  disposition  to  any  spiritual  good ;  here  my 
reader  would  not  be  perplexed,  for  there  would  be  no 
darkness  to  perplex  him.  The  definite  and  simple  sense 
of  the  sentence  would  immediately  give  a  plain  idea. 
And  when  I  quote  Rom.  8.  7.  and  my  reader  takes  a 
view  of  the  scope  of  the  passage,  he  finds  my  doctrine 
proven,  and  I  speak  in  a  perfect  consistency  both  with 
the  principles  of  fallen  nature  and  moral  agency.  Far- 
ther, when  I  say  "  The  will  of  man  is  made  perfectly 
"and  immutably  free  to  good  alone,  in  the  state  of 
"  glor}%"  my  accurate  reader  suspects  me  in  a  moment, 
not  only  for  inaccuracy  in  language  but  also  for  error  in 
judgment.  And  when,  for  proof,^I  quote  Eph.  4.  13.  and 
Jyde  24. 1  have  not  a  single  sentence  in  the  text  to  pro^e 
what  I  have  advanced.  When  I  say  a  man  is  immutably 
bound  to  one  thing,  you  easily  understand  me ;  but  when 
I  say  he  is  immutably  free  to  one  thing,  let  that  thing  be 
ever  so  good,  you  have  no  idea,  and  no  wonder,  for  m} 
language  is  not  calculated  to  give  you  any. 

I  firmly  believe  that  it  is  very  proper  to  speak  of  sin- 
ners as  dead  in  sin,  and  it  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  bible.  In  the  2d  chapter  of  the  Eph.  we 
have  a  most  striking  view  of  our  lost,  and  ruined  state. 
But  we  are  to  remember  that  such  passages  of  scriptures  ill 


134 

not  justify  us  in  saying  that  a  sinner  can  no  more  believe 
than  a  dead  man  can  act,  or  breathe,  or  perform  the  com- 
mon business  of  life.  This  would  be  reducing  the  strik- 
ing language  of  figure,  which  the  bible  uses,  to  iis  common 
meaning;  and  it  would  not  only  destroy  the  beauty  of  the 
scripture  style,  but  it  would  introduce  something  awk- 
ward, not  to  say  really  false,  and  absurd  in  its  place ;  and 
we  could  find  no  text  to  pro^  e  but  many  to  contradict  it. 
Upon  the  whole  I  conclude,  that  nothing  hinders  a  sin- 
ner from  believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  but  a  wicked 
heart;  and  that  wickedness,  as  our  blessed  Saviour  ex- 
plains it,  consists  in  hating  the  light  and  loving  darkness. 
The  non-elect  are  therefore  inexcusable,  because  they 
will  not  believe  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Moral  inability  inexcusable  in  its  nature. 

Although  it  is  not  very  difficult  to  see  the  difterencc 
betwixt  moral  and  natural  inability,  yet  many  are  so  little 
attentive  to  this  subject  that  they  have  very  confused 
ideas  of  it.  They  are  also  disposed  to  think,  that  to  have 
a  wicked  disposition  is  not  a  matter  of  sufficient  magni- 
tude to  be  the  great  obstacle  in  the  sinner's  way.  Having 
opened  the  way  in  the  two  former  chapters  for  a  serious 
view  of  this  important  matter,  let  us  endeavour  to  under- 
stand it. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  understanding  natural  ability; 
the  words  are  plain  and  have  their  natural  meaning.  We 
can  say  natural  abilities,  strength,  power,  capacity,  &c. 
and  our  ideas  are  not  disturbed,  and  we  simply  mean  that 
power  or  capacity  either  of  body  or  mind,  which  we  have 
by  nature  as   vigorous,  healthy,  rational  or  intelligent 


136 

creatures.  Hence  you  easily  understand  me  as  speaking 
of  the  exercise  of  my  natural  capacity  when  I  say,  I  walk, 
I  run,  I  write,  I  labour,  1  think,  I  understand,  I  judge. 
I  remember,  Sec;  all  such  things  are  done  by  natural 
pow  er.  But  the  great  difliculty  is  to  know  what  is  meant 
by  moral  power;  and  the  difficulty  arises  considerably  from 
our  using  the  same  words  here  as  in  the  other  case;  the 
words  power,  ability,  8cc.  arc  not  natural  in  this  case;  and 
it  is  with  some  difficulty  the  mind  is  persuaded  to  take 
the  figurative  instead  of  the  natural  sense.  When  I  say,  I 
cannot  fly,  you  understand  me  easily,  you  know  that  1 
have  no  w  ings;  and  even  if  1  had  a  disposition  I  have  not 
natural  ability.  But  if  I  tell  you  I  cannot  accept  of  a  gift 
which  you  offi^r  mc,  my  style  is  changed  ^d  you  have  to 
drop  the  natural  sense,  and  understand  me  to  say  that  I 
am  not  willing.  I  w  ill  give  a  number  of  examples  by 
couples:  the  first  showing  natural  inability,  the  second 
moral  inability,  by  which  you  can  easily  see  the  nature  of 
both  and  the  diftcrence  betwixt  them. 

1. 1  cannot  remove  a  mountain.  2.  1  cannot  try  to  do  it. 

l.I  cannot  cause  my  shade-tree  to  grow.  2.  I  caimot 
chop  it  down. 

1. 1  cannot  cure  my  wife  of  the  fever.  2.  I  cannot  give 
her  poison. 

1.  I  cannot  be  your  master.  2.  I  cannot  be  your  slave. 

1. 1  cannot  put  my  hand  through  the  key  hole.  2. 1  can 
*  not  put  it  in  the  fire. 

Again:  I  will  give  similar  examples  in  religious  matters, 
understood  in  the  same  manner. 

1.  I  cannot  keep  from  staggering  when  I  ^valk,  when 
I  am  intoxicated.  2.  I  cannot  keep  from  drinking  to 
excess. 

1.  I  cannot  bring  a  curse  upon  my  neighbour.  2.  I  am 
so  angry  1  cannot  help  but  curse  him. 

1. 1  cannot  bless  myself.  2.  I  cannot  pray  to  God  to 
do  it. 


136 

1. 1  cannot  make  atonement  for  my  sms.  2.  I  cannot 
consent  for  Christ  to  do  it  for  me. 

1.  A  heathen  says  he  cannot  accept  of  salvation,  he  has 
no  offer.  2.  An  infidel  says  I  cannot  accept  of  salvation, 
although  I  have  the  offer  every  day. 

1.  Jesus  said  Where  I  go,  thither  ye  cannot  come. 
2.  He  said  also.  No  man  can  come  unto  me,  &c. 

1.  rhou  canst  not  make  one  hair  white  or  black.  2. 1 
have  married  a  wife  and  cannot  come. 

1.  The  father  of  the  lunatic  said  to  Christ  If  thou  canst 
do  any  thing.  2.  Jesus  said  to  him.  If  thou  canst  believe. 

These  examples  are  sufficient  to  show  the  difference 
betwixt  a  natural  and  moral  ability;  and  if  the  reader  will 
only  substitute  the  words  will  not,  instead  of  cannot,  in 
every  second  example;  and  wilt  instead  of  canst  in  the 
last,  he  will  have  the  plain  sense  of  the  whole  matter.  It  is 
therefore  evident  that  moral  inability  is  nothing  but  the 
want  of  will  or  disposition  of  the  mind. 

Natural  inability  always  arises  from  one  of  two  things, 
either  the  want  of  natural  power  or  want  of  opportunity. 
An  idiot  has  not  natural  power  to  believe  in  consequence 
of  the  deranged  state  of  his  mind ;  a  heathen  has  not,  for 
want  of  opportunity;  and  neither  is  condemned  for  unbe- 
lief. But  moral  inability  always  arises  from  a  want  of  dis- 
position, and  is  always  the  very  turning  point  on  which 
the  charge  of  unbelief  is  hinged.  Were  it  not  for  this,  the 
unbeliever  would  be  excused.  This  our  Lord  undoubt- 
edly asserts  when  he  says  of  the  Jews  "  If  I  had  not  done 
"among  them  the  works  which  none  other  man  did,  they 
"had  not  had  sin;  but  now  have  they  both  seen  and  hated 
"both  me  and  my  Father."  Also  verse  22d,  "  If  I  had  not 
"come  and  spoken  unto  them  they  had  not  had  sin,  but 
"now  they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin." 

Here  I  am  asked.  Does  the  gospel  lay  before  the  non- 
elect  motives  and  arguments  sufficient  to  induce  then  to 
believe?  I  answer,  it  does.  I  do  not  say  that  the  divine 


137 

power  attends  the  gospel  to  the  non-elect  as  it  does  to  the 
elect,  so  that  they  are  brought  to  a  moral  neecssit)  lo  be- 
lieve. But  the  gQspcl  certainly  lays  enough  of  interesting 
truth  beiore  them  to  influence  the  mind  of  a  reasonable 
man,  u  ho  is  in  their  situation  as  sinners.  But  the  reason 
why  they  are  not  influenced  by  the  truth  is  because  they 
will  not  consider  it  or  lay  it  to  heart;  their  mind  is 
engrossed  with  other  things,  and  thc}  arc  so  wickedly 
disposed  that  they  never  will  lay  to  heait  the  things  of 
religion. 

However  difficult  it  may  be  to  understand  these  things 
for  the  want  of  knowing  what  the  Spirit's  influences  are 
on  the  soul  in  illuminating  it;  yet  we  must  certainly  con- 
clude from  scripture  that  those  who  hear  the  gospel  will 
be  found  inexcusable  at  the  day  of  judgment;  and  if  so 
they  must  have  had  enough  to  induce  them  to  believe 
had  they  improved  it;  and  the  fault  must  lie  in  their 
wilfully  rejecting  the  offers  of  the  gospel;  see  Matt.  11. 
20—24.  Luke  10.  10—16. 

Christ  never  would  have  pronounced  such  woes  upon 
Jerusalem,  Chorazin  and  Bcthsaida,  if  they  had  not  been 
justly  blameworthy  in  consequence  of  their  wilfully  re- 
jecting the  oflfers  of  the  gospel,  attended  with  such  evi- 
dences of  truth  both  by  prophecies  and  miracles  wrought 
among  them.  With  what  propriety  could  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour direct  the  disciples  to  shake  oflf  the  very  dust  of  their 
feet  as  a  testimony  against  those  cities  which  would  not 
receive  them,  unless  the  gospel  gave  them  such  a  privi- 
lege as  rendered  them  highly  criminal  for  not  improving  it. 
There  are  diree  things  here  to  be  considered.  The  gospel 
offers  full  and  complete  salvation  to  intelligent  creatures 
on  very  easy  terms. 

1.  The  balvalion  offered  in  the  gospel  is  ever}-  way  suit- 
able to  the  necessities  of  sinners;  it  is  complete  in  every 
respect,  righteousness,  pardon  and  every  necessary  grace 
to  sanctify  the  ,soul  and  make  ic  fit  for  heaven. 

S 


Ids 

^.  This  complete  salvation  is  ollered  not  to  stocks  or 
mere  machines,  but  to  creatures  possessed  of  rational  fa- 
culties capable  of  consulting  their  best  interest,  capable  of 
believing  reports  on  proper  testimony,  capable  of  examin- 
ing doctrines,  capable  of  making  deductions  from  pre- 
mises to  prove  facts,  and  receive  facts  for  truths  on 
evidence,  capable  to  be  influenced  by  motives,  capable 
to  feel  arguments,  capable  to  fear  and  capable  to  desire, 
in  short,  capable  to  make  a  full,  free  and  voluntary  choice 
in  all  their  conduct,  according  to  the  rational  influence  of 
proper  motives.  Such  is  the  sinner;  and  his  being  a  sinner 
does  not  destroy  his  rational  power. 

3.  The  salvation  of  the  gospel  exactly  suited  to  his  case 
as  a  lost  sinner  is  offered  to  him  on  very  easy  terms.  The 
salvation  of  Christ  is  oflfered  freely  to  be  received  with- 
out money  or  price;  we  are  not  in  any  sense  whatsoever 
to  purchase  even  the  least  blessing  it  contains ;  we  are 
not  to  perform  repentance,  love,  holiness,  or  any  duty  of 
religion  in  order  to  obtain  it;  but  all  these  things  are  freely 
given  and  are  so  many  parts  of  this  wonderful  salvation. 
We  are  only  required  to  receive  or  accept,  or  to  give  our 
consent  to  Christ  to  save  us  by  his  own  righteousness  and 
Spirit. 

And  that  we  may,  on  rational  principles  as  free  agents, 
accept  of  Christ,  the  gospel  furnishes  us  with  arguments 
and  teaches  us  doctrines  to  influence  our  choice;  several 
of  those  doctrines  we  know  and  feel  by  experience  to  be 
true;  others  are  attested  by  divine  authority,  by  prophe- 
cies, by  miracles,  and  by  many  witnesses.  We  are  taught 
that  we  are  sinners  and  need  pardon  and  sanctification;  we 
feel  it  an  awful  truth.  We  are  taught  that  Christ  died  to 
save  sinners;  and  this  important  truth  is  attended  with  the 
best  testimony  of  any  fact  that  ever  was  done  in  the  \vorld. 
The  whole  salvation  purchased  by  the  death  of  Christ  is 
freely  offered  to  the  sinner  just  as  he  is;  and  the  only  thing 


139 

required  is  for  the  lost  creature  to  be  willint^  lor  Christ  t<> 
save  him. 

It  evidently  appears  from  \\hat  I  have  said,  that  the 
gospel  is  really  within  the  reach  of  a  lost  sinner.  There  is 
no  man  who  enjoys  the  gospel  can  say  consistent  with 
truth,  tliat  he  cannot  be  saved.  He  may  say  that  lie  ivill 
not  be  saved,  but  cannot,  while  the  sinner  is  on  this  side 
hell,  can  never  be  said  consistent  with  the  bible.  He  may 
say  he  cannot  save  himself,  but  while  Christ  is  able  to 
save  to  the  uttermost,  and  offers  salvation  freely,  every 
man  who  enjoys  those  offers  can,  ought  and  must  be  ar-" 
raigned  at  the  bar  ol'  God,  and  his  own  conscience  as  a 
guilty  culprit,  if  he  will  not  accept  of  the  salvation  which 
is  offered  to  him  in  the  gospel. 

It  appears  from  the  above  statement  that  the  motives 
and  arguments  of  the  gospel  are  in  their  nature  really  suf- 
ficient to  induce  the  non-elect  to  accept  of  Christ;  and 
although  the}  do  not  do  it,  the  deficiency  lies  not  in  the 
number  or  nature  of  the  motives,  nor  yet  in  full  and  com- 
plete opportunity  by  ''  line  upon  line,  precept  upon  pre- 
"  cept"  to  attend  to  them,  but  in  their  own  corrupt  and 
wicked  temper  of  heart;  and  I  do  not  see  how  it  is  pos- 
sible to  excuse  a  rational  creature  called  by  so  many 
moving  arguments,  addressed  to  every  power  of  the  soul 
in  a  most  interesting  case,  attended  with  all  the  energy  of 
public  oratory  and  elocpienee,  if  at  last  he  goes  even  to 
death  in  opposition  to  Christ  and  his  salvation.  Surely  we 
must  join  with  the  apostle  and  say  (Heb.  10.  26 — 29.) 
"  If  we  sin  \\  ilfully  after  we  have  received  the  knowledge 
"  of  the  truth  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sin, 
•'  but  a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery 
*'  indignation  which  shall  devour  the  adversaries.  He  who 
"despised  MosCs'  law  died  ^\'ithout  mercy  under  two  or 
"three  witnesses;  of  how  much  sorer  punishment,  sup- 
■■'  pose  ye,  he  shall  be  thought  worthy  who  hath  trodden 
"•  underfoot  the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted  the  blood 


140 

''of  the  co\enant  wherewith  he  (Christ)  was  sanctified 
"  an  unholy  thing,  and  hath  done  despite  to  the  Spirit  ol 
"grace."  \ 

Indeed  I  am  so  far  from  feeling  any  disposition  to  ex- 
cuse an  unbeliever  that  I  often  feel  myself  astonished 
above  measure  that  every  one  who  hears  the  gospel  does 
not  believe  in  Christ.  A  rational  creature  capable  of 
thought  and  reflection,  in  danger  of  eternal  damnation 
every  moment,  having  the  free  offer  of  pardon  and  de- 
liverance from  insufferable  pain  and  the  enjoyment  of 
eternal  happiness  and  glory,  and  will  not  accept  of  it!  Be 
astonished  O  ye  heavens  at  this!  It  certainly  will  and 
ought  to  be  more  tolerable  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
than  for  such. 

Upon  the  whole  we  conclude  that  the  non-elect  who 
enjoy  the  free  offer  of  salvation  and  nothing  to  hinder 
them  from  accepting  it  but  their  own  wicked  disposition 
must  be  inexcusable;  and  God  will  be  justified  when  he 
speaketh  and  clear  when  he  judgeth. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Improvement. 

We  come  now  to  make  some  improvement  on  what 
has  been  said.  We  have  seen  that  the  doctrine  of  election 
is  established  by  the  word  of  God.  We  have  attended  to 
the  several  ways  in  which  the  bible  teaches  us  this  doc- 
trine, and  how  it  answers  in  a  most  masterly  manner  the 
principal  objections  against  it.  This  doctrine  is  repre- 
sented in  scripture  as  the  foundation  of  the  gospel,  the 
particular  grounds  of  the  christian's  comfort  and  jo}',  the 
pillar  of  the  christian's  hope  of  perseverance  and  glory. 
It  insures  all  the  blessings  of  the  covenant  of  grace  to  be- 
lievers. It  insures  to  Christ,  the  glorious  Mediator,  the 


141 

reward  of  his  sufferings  and  the  glory  of  his  kingdom. 
It  insures  constant  protection  to  the  church,  and  a  sure 
defence  against  and  a  final  conquest  over  all  her  enemies. 
It  encourages  ministers  to  preach  the  gospel  and  the  peo- 
ple to  attend  on  ihe  Mord  preached.  It  humbles  the  pride 
of  man,  strikes  pointedly  against  self-righteousness  and 
vainglory,  and  gives  all  the  glory  to  God  only,  and  displa}s 
the  honour  of  all  the  divine  perfections.  It  is  the  foundation 
of  free  grace  here  and  complete  glory  hereafter,  and  is 
properly  the  christian's  song  both  in  time  and  throughout 
eternity.  Happy  are  they  who  are  chosen  in  Christ  Jesus 
before  the  world  was.  It  becomes  every  candidate  foi- 
eternity  to  "  give  diligence  to  make  liis  calling  and  elec- 
"  tion  sure." 

The  sovereignty  of  God  is  peculiarly  exhibited  and 
awfully  displayed  in  the  docti'ine  of  election;  and  when 
Ave  feel  a  disposition  to  deny  election  we  ought  to  be 
afraid  lest  it  arises  from  an  opposition  in  our  hearts  to 
God's  sovereignty.  We  ought  to  ask  ourselves  whether 
we  would  acknowledge  God*s  prerogative  and  unques- 
tionable right  to  do  as  he  pleases  with  his  sinful  creatures. 
It  is  certainly  the  most  unreasonable  thing  in  the  world 
to  say  or  to  think  that  God  could  not  justly  condemn 
all,  when  all  have  sinned;  and  to  say  he  must  save  all  or 
none  is  very  unreasonable.  To  say  he  must  give  all  an 
equal  chance  is  contrary  to  the  bible,  facts  and  reason.  It 
is  abominable  nonsense  to  talk  of  free  grace  and  yet  con- 
strain the  will  of  the  Giver  or  introduce  the  idea  of  some- 
thing to  be  done  by  the  sinner  to  make  him  fit  to  receive 
or  worthy  to  partake.  To  control  a  Being  infinitely  wise, 
just  and  powerful  in  his  purposes  of  goodness  to  rebels, 
either  as  to  his  gifts  or  the  objects  of  his  goodness  or  the 
number  of  those  objectsris  an  impious  insult  on  the  dig- 
nity of  hea\  en ;  holy  angels  dare  not  do  it.  None  but  re- 
bels say,  "  What  dost  thou?"  A  few  serious  reflections 
on  these  things  would  tend  to  convince  cavillers  at  this 


142 

doctrine  that  secret  enmity  in  their  hearts  against  God^s 
sovereignty  lies  at  the  bottom  of  all  their  arguments.  I 
am  not  surprised  when  I  find  deists  cavilling  at  the  doc- 
trines of  the  bible;  but  it  is  truly  astonishing  to  find  per- 
sons who  profess  to  take  the  bible  as  the  infallible  rule 
and  standard  of  their  faith  denying  election,  when  they 
can  read  it  there  as  plainly  as  they  can  read  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet.  It  is  as  evident  from  the  bible  that  the  whole 
scale  of  doctrines  contained  in  it,  and  the  whole  procedure 
of  divine  Providence  toward  his  church  and  people  is 
founded  on  one  grand  original  plan  or  purpose  as  that  syl- 
lables, words  and  sentences  are  founded  on  the  letters. 
These  things  I  have  attempted  to  prove  and  demonstrate 
in  this  treatise;  and  I  hope  I  have  done  it  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  some.  There  are  but  two  difficulties  attending  the 
doctrine  of  election,  and  both  arise  in  consequence  of 
our  limited  capacities. 

1.  It  seems  reasonable  to  suppose  that  God  must  exist 
previous  to  his  making  choice  or  adopting  the  great  plan 
of  redemption;  and  if  we  admit  but  one  moment  we  may 
Avith  equal  propriety  admit  fifty  or  five  hundred.  On  the 
other  hand,  when  the  choice  is  made  or  the  plan  adopted 
there  is  something  new  taken  place  in  the  mind  of  the 
Deity,  which  introduces  a  change  which  is  incompatible 
with  the  perfections  of  God.  Many  writers  have  showed 
much  learning  and  genius  and  study  on  this  subject;  but 
with  all  they  liave  only  demonstrated  that  finite  creatures 
cannot  comprehend  tlje  infinite  things  of  God.  But  in- 
asmuch as  the  bible  calls  it  an  eternal  purpose  (Eph.  3. 
11.)  and  before  the  world  was  or  began,  from  the  begin- 
ning, &:c.  we  ought  to  silence  our  flights  of  fancy  and  cu- 
Jiosity  and  submit  to  divine  authorit}^  with  reverence  and 
adoration.  * 

2.  The  other  difficulty  respects  the  free  agency  of  the 
creature;  and  no  doubt  there  would  be  no  difficulty  here 
if  we  only  had  a  proper  knowledge  of  our  own  souls« 


143 

Philosophers  have  been  as  much  perplexed  about  the  nu 
turc  and  capacities  of  the  human  mind  as  about  any  other 
subject  again.  Indeed  we  know  little  about  sph  its.  How 
the  mind  is  afttcted  b}  external  objects,  how  a  motive  in- 
fluences the  heart,  how  one  spirit  aftects  or  influences 
another,  and  even  hmv  the  divine  Spirit  enlightens,  per- 
suades and  renews  are  questions  which  have  occupied  the 
pens  of  many  \\  ise  men  and  great  philosophers  to  little  or 
no  purpose,  but  to  show  how  little  we  know  of  our  own 
selves.  Hence  no  doubt  it  is  that  we  cannot  see  why  God 
permitted  Adam  to  fall,  when  we  think  he  could  have  easi- 
ly prevented  it;  how  he  is  not  the  author  of  sin,  why 
he  aggravates  the  sin  of  unbelievers  by  offering  them  sal- 
vation when  he  knows  they  will  not  accept  of  it,  &.c.  Our 
weak  capacities  cannot  comprehend  these  things.  If  we 
perfectly  understood  all  the  principles  of  moral  agency 
and  moral  necessity  probably  there  would  be  no  mystery 
in  these  things.  But  such  objections  militate  every  m  hit 
as  much  against  the  fall  of  angels  and  of  man,  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Christ  by  Pilate  and  the  chief  priests,  the  Jews' 
rejection  of  the  gospel,  the  heathens  living  hundreds  imd 
thousands  of  years  without  the  gospel,  &c.  as  against  elec- 
tion, although  the  most  of  these  are  well  known  facts.  If 
therefore  such  objections  will  overturn  the  truth  of  the 
doctrine  of  election,  they  will  overturn,  overturn,  overturn 
indeed,  until  all  the  truths  in  the  bible  will  be  overturned. 
Therefore  to  bring  forward  such  difficulties  as  objections 
against  the  doctrine  of  election,  which  we  have  proven 
to  be  a  positive  doctrine  supported  antl  vindicated  by 
the  word  of  God,  is  really  nothing  else  but  playing  and 
sporting  with  the  awful  sovereignty  of  God,  and  the 
holy  d(jctriues  of  the  bibk. 

Until  we  can  understand  more  perfectly  llic  pov\ers 
and  aftections  of  our  own  minds,  it  becomes  us,  as  jx)or 
dependent  creatures  to  sit  submissively  at  the  foot  of 
divine  wisdom  and  sovereientv,  :\ud  credit  llic  tnitli  of 


144 

liis  divine  word,  even  although  we  may  not  in  every 
case  and  circumstance,  be  able  to  pry  into  the  depth  of 
what  he  reveals,  rather  than  cavil  (as  if  we  were  con- 
noisseurs) at  his  infinite  economy,  and  dispute  his  au- 
thority in  what  we  do  not  understand.  We  should  never 
allow  ourselves  to  feel  as  if  God  was  under  oblisrations  to 

o 

please  us,  or  ask  our  counsel.  We  are  too  young,  too 
foolish  and  too  wicked  to  please  or  counsel  ourselves; 
and  the  very  angels  dare  not  ask  the  reason  why,  in  all 
the  counsels  and  works  of  God. 

The  doctrine  of  election  is  so  well  proven  by  scripture 
that  w^e  ought  to  believe  it.  It  is  such  a  sovereign  doc- 
trine that  we  ought  to  revere  it.  It  is  so  desirable,  we 
ought  to  be  thankful  for  it.  It  is  so  pleasing  we  ought  to 
love  it.  It  is  so  unchangeable  we  ought  to  confide  in  it. 
Yea,  God  is  so  glorified  in  it,  and  the  helpless  sinner  so 
completely  saved  by  it,  that  we  ought  to  esteem  it,  and 
use  it  as  the  sum  and  source  of  the  doctrines  of  the  bible ; 
and  make  it  the  ground  of  all  our  joy  and  comfort.  Take 
away  this  doctrine,  and  what  have  we  remaining  in  all  the 
bible?  The  crucifixion  of  Christ  would  be  an  unmean- 
ing thing,  a  mere  chaotic  tragedy;  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  would  be  a  mere  play  upon  the  fancy;  the  offers 
and  promises  of  the  gospel,  vv^ould  be  a  trick  of  deception, 
the  hope  of  the  christian  be  completely  unhinged,  and  the 
divine  influences  of  the  Spirit,  v»^ould  be  forever  want- 
ing. What  an  unmeaning  thing  would  the  whole  bible  be, 
without  a  plan?  The  Jews  without  this  plan  in  view, 
thought  Christ  crucified,  was  very  offensive;  the  wise 
Grecians  thought  it  foolishness,  but  those  vvho  believed, 
thought  and  felt  it  to  be  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  the 
power  of  God. 

How  astonishing  it  is,  that  that  which  is  the  very  life 
and  soul  of  the  bible,  without  which  it  would  be  a  dead 
letter,  that  without  which  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
would  be  a  mere  sabbatical  entertainment,  without  saving 
one  soul,  that  which  is  the  only  true  ground  of  free 


145 

grace,  and  consequently  the  only  ground  of  a  sinner's 
hope  and  sah  ation,  should  l)c  neglected,  denied,  rejected, 
slighted,  ridiculed,  and  contemned  by  sinners,  whose 
eternal  salvation  entirely  depends  upon  it.  It  is  well  for 
sinners  that  their  denying,  and  even  ridiculing  and  des- 
pising this  glorious  doctrine,  has  no  tendency  to  make  it 
void,  and  of  none  eftect.  God  cannot  deny  himself,  and 
be  unfaithful  to  his  purpose,  although  we  should  ungrate- 
fully disbelieve  the  doctrine  of  his  word. 

Vvhat  wonderful  mercy  it  would  have  been  even  for 
the  offended  Majesty  of  heaven  to  give  die  smallest  inti- 
mation of  his  purpose  of  grace  to  lost  sinners;  but  how 
thankful  ought  we  to  be,  \vhen  God  has  given  the  full 
assurance  of  hope  to  every  soul  that  believes  on  Christ, 
founded  on   his   determinate   counsel,  and  purpose  ot 
grace,  which  he   purposed   in  Christ  before  the  world 
began ;  and  when  he  hath  in  pursuance  of  his  own  plan, 
given  us  great  and  precious  promises,  established  not 
upon  our  own  works,  but  on  his  own  unchangeable  will; 
which  promises  contain  every  necessary  blessing,  both 
to  entitle  us  unto,  and  prepare  us  for  immortal  happiness, 
and  glory;  all  purchased  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  the 
great  Head  of  the  co^'enant,  who  is  the  Surety  for  the 
salvation  of  his  people ;  and  in  due  time,  according  to 
the  same  purpose  of  grace,  by  the  holy  Spirit  effectually 
applied,  and  the  work  carried  on,  conducted  by  infinite 
wisdom,  until  it  is  crowned  in  heaven.  Good  God!  are 
such  favours  as  these  to  be  despised  and  ridiculed  by 
such  creatures  as  we  arc!  Ought  they  not  to  be  received 
with  love  and  astonishment,  and  every  possible  feeling  of 
praise  and  gratitude !  Is  it  not  enough  to  make  our  hearts 
bleed  with  pity  and  sorrow,   and  our  eyes  swim  with 
tears,  and  even  to  fill  our  souls  with  a  holy  indignation, 
to  hear  it  said  out  of  disdain  and  contempt,  that  this 
doctrine  came  from  hell?  and  that  it  is  an  artful  device 
of  Satan,  calculated  only  to  fetter  and  trepan  and  des- 

T 


146 

troy  immortal  souls?  The  worst,  and  the  best  wish  lean 
possibly  have  for  such  persons  is  that  they  may  be  made 
to  feel  their  own  nothingness  in  the  sight  of  God  and 
their  dependence  on  free  and  unmerited  grace,  to  such  a 
degree  that  they  will  be  glad  to  adopt  the  plan  of  the 
gospel,  founded  on  God's  own  purpose  of  grace  in 
Christ,  to  keep  them  from  sinking  into  hell,  and  drawn 
of}  from  their  own  rotten  system  of  self-righteousness, 
and  works.  I  wish  them  to  learn  to  put  their  trust  in  the 
unchangeable  purpose  and  promises  of  Christ  by  faith; 
lest  when  they  die,  they  find  themselves  on  a  wrong 
foundation,  and  be  made  eternally  to  reap  the  conse- 
quences of  trampling  on  the  counsels  of  heaven,  and 
spurning  at  the  infinite  purposes  of  God. 

Christians  ought  to  study  the  plan  of  the  gospel  more 
than  they  do;  and  in  order  to  obtain  right  notions  of  it, 
they  ought  to  study  the  doctrine  of  election  more.  It  is 
impossible  to  have  right  views  of  free  grace,  without 
having  right  views  of  this  doctrine.  Free  grace  always 
begins  and  ends  in  God.  He  first  purposed  to  give  it,  or 
no  soul  could  ever  have  received  it;  and  it  is  cultivated 
by  his  own  hand,  or  we  would  soon  make  shipwreck  of 
it  all. 

How  soon  would  the  best  of  us  provoke  him  to  des- 
troy us,  were  it  not  that  his  love  is  an  everlasting  love. 
The  dung  of  our  sacrifices  would  be  cast  in  our  faces 
long  ere  now,  were  it  not  for  the  everlasting  covenant 
established  in  Christ,  and  ratified  and  confirmed  by  his 
precious  blood. 

When  the  whole  scene  is  closed,  and  the  topstone  of 
the  great  work  of  salvation  is  laid,  when  Christ  the  great 
Master  Builder,  shall  once  more  say,  it  is  finished,  w  hat 
\vill  be  the  song  of  praise?  Even  whcit  it  ought  to  be 
now,  while  we  are  on  the  way  to  glory.  The  love  which 
we  shall  sing  will  not  be  a  temporary  love,  but  everlast- 
ing. We  will  not  say  he  loved  us  as  long*  as  we  loved 
him.  but  "  we  lo"!  «d  him  because  he  first  loved  us."  The 


147 

grace  wc  will  sing  will  not  be  in  consequence  of  our 
faithfulness  to  him;  the  salvation  will  not  be  ascribed  to 
our  diligence  in  improving  the  gospel;  but  "he  hath 
"  saved  us  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  ac- 
"  cording  to  our  works."  O  how  the  negative  will  sound 
from  every  harp,  "not  according  to  our  works;"  and  O 
how  the  positive  answer  will  sound  from  choir  to  choir, 
and  from  string  to  string,  "  but  according  to  his  own 
"  purpose  and  grace  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus 
"  before  the  world  began.  Unto  him  that  loved  us  and 
"  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hadi 
"  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Fadicr,  to 
"  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever,  Amen." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Improvement  continued. 

If  I  had  a  few  more  gray  hairs  on  my  head  1  would 
address  a  word  or  two  to  my  brethren  in  the  ministry. 

I  hope  my  fathers,  my  superiors  in  age,  experience 
and  abilities,  will  generously  look  over  my  petulance, 
with  a  forgiving  temper,  while  I  address  a  few  things  to 
my  equals,  or  rather  my  juniors  in  the  gospel,  on  a  sub- 
ject so  infinitely  important. 

Dear  brethren,  to  us  although  eardien  vessels  arc  com- 
mitted the  treasures  of  the  gospel.  When  you  take  die 
bible  in  your  hand,  }ou  have  not  only  your  authority,  but 
your  special  directions  how  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
One  of  your  special  directions  is,  "do  the  work  of  an  cvan- 
"gelist;"  and  you  have  the  example  of  Paul  to  the  Romans 
and  Ephesians,  especially  to  declare  the  whole  counsel 
of  God.  You  certainly  will  commit  an  unpardonable 
blunder  in  divinity,  if  you  in  the  first  place  neglect  to 
make  your  own  election  sure,  and  secondly,  if  you  ne- 
glect to  study  the  doctrine  accurately,  and  thirdly,  if  you 


148 

neglect  to  preach  it  soundly  and  thoroughly  to  your 
people.  Election  is  none  of  your  extraneous  particles, 
which  collect  in  little  scraps  of  sermons  once  or  twice  in 
a  twelvemonth,  and  even  then  appearing  as  a  stranger, 
imposing  on  the  patience  and  good  humour  both  of  the 
speaker  and  the  audience.  No.  I  answer,  with  a  religious 
and  zealous  indignation  at  the  thought,  election  is  the 
burden  of  the  theme;  the  very  first  thought  of  the  coun- 
sels of  heaven  to  save  a  lost  sinner;  it  is  the  foundation 
of  the  covenant  of  grace,  of  the  death  of  Christ,  of  the 
glory  of  his  church  and  kingdom,  on  which  are  built 
like  a  mighty  bulwark,  all  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  all 
the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
salvation  of  every  soul  that  shall  ever  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  It  is  undoubtedly  our  duty,  in  preaching 
the  gospel,  to  introduce  the  glorious  doctrines  of  free 
grace,  founded  on  God's  own  eternal  purpose,   as  the 
very  ground  work  of  our  doctrine;  to  persuade  sinners 
to  accept  of  free  unmerited  mercy,  oflfered  to  them  ac- 
cording to  God's  own  purpose,  which  he  purposed  in 
himself;  and  believers  to  rest  upon  the  promises  of  the 
gospel  founded  on  eternal  truth,  containing  rich  blessings 
promised,  not  for  any  goodness  in  us,  but  because  he  in 
his  infinite  counsel  determined  to  bestow  them  for  the 
sake  of  the  atonement  of  Christ.   This  would  have  a  na- 
tural tendency  to  bring  sinners  to  a  sense  of  their  ruined 
and  helpless  state;  and  it  would  lead  them  to  Christ  as 
their  only  help  in  time  of  need.  It  would  also  tend  to 
give  genuine  comfort  to  all  believers;  it  would  make 
them  rejoice  because  their  names  are  written  in  heaven. 
It  would  tend  to  bring  them  into  one  body,  and  one 
spirit,  even  as  they  are  called  in  one  hope  of  their  calling. 
They  would  then  feel   themselves  having  made  their 
calling  and  election  sure,  as  elect  according  to  the  fore- 
knowledge of  God.  And  the  grand  and  glorious  argu- 
ment would  be  in  all  their  expressions  of  gratitude, 


149 

Blessed  with  all  spiritual  blessings  according  as  he  hatJi 
chosen  us  in  him,  &c. 

But  alas!  instead  of  this  we  seldom  ever  hear  the  doc- 
trine of  election  either  f.om  the  pulpit  or  the  press.  Are 
we  afraid  of  it?  We  seem  as  if  we  had  a  disrelish  for  it 
as  if  it  was  a  drug;  something  the  bible  could  spare,  that 
the  church  could  do  better  without.  It  perplexes  the  mind; 
it  breaks  the  peace  and  (juiet  of  sinners;  it  is  painful  to 
the  minds  of  persons  under  concern  about  religion.  It  has 
a  tendency  to  drive  distressed  souls  into  despair.  There 
are  difficulties  attending  it  hard  to  solve.  It  is  hard  to  un- 
derstand. It  ought  to  be  touched  with  a  careful  hand,  and 
managed  very  prudently  and  with  great  caution.  O  my 
brethren,  what  a  pity  it  is  that  any  of  us  should  indulge 
such  thoughts  and  notions  as  these.  Can  we  be  afraid  of 
election  when  it  is  the  only  thing  that  bringeth  salvation? 
How  absurd  it  would  be  for  any  to  attempt  to  destroy 
this  doctrine  for  fear  he  is  not  elected.  If  we  could  over- 
turn this  one  flict  it  would  make  the  devils  shout  glory  in 
hell.  By  so  doing  we  would  make  ourselves  non-elect 
indeed.  Grant  election  and  I  have  some  hope,  and  a  glo- 
rious one  too.  But  let  me  destroy  it  and  I  am  left  in  fmal 
despair.  I  tell  you,  my  dear  friends,  I  am  in  earnest. 
When  I  plead  for  election  I  am  pleading  for  my  life,  my 
soul  and  my  all.  I  cannot  give  one  tittle  up;  for  the 
least  particle  of  it  is  a  radical  fibre  which  does  its  part  to 
supply  my  soul  with  salvation.  Blessed  be  God,  we  can- 
not destroy  it.  The  gates  of  hell  cannot  do  it.  Merf  may 
strut  and  devils  may  rage,  but  God's  elect  shall  be  saved. 
Surely  there  is  no  person  who  has  made  his  election  sure 
can  possibly  disrelish  this  doctrine.  If  any  of  us  count 
it  a  drug,  it  is  a  sad  sign  that  our  hope  has  never  been 
fixed  upon  it.  How  can  that  be  a  drug  which  is  the 
moving  spring  of  the  whole  gospel?  Could  the  bible  do 
without  any  plan?  And  would  it  be  worth  reading  unless 
the  plan  was  eifectual?  Could  the  plan  be  effectual  with- 


150 

out  a  divine  puipose  to  fulfil  it?  The  church  would  be 
so  far  from  doing  better  without  it  that  it  could  do  no- 
thing at  all.  Her  ministers  'svould  be  like  Baal's  prophets; 
they  might  leap  upon  the  altar  and  cry  from  morning  till 
noon  and  from  noon  till  evening,  and  cut  themselves  with 
knives  and  lancets  till  the  blood  would  gush  out,  but  no 
heavenly  fire  would  come  down.  I  grant  it  often  perplexes 
the  mind,  and  so  much  the  better;  so  does  conviction;  so 
does  the  gospel  and  Spirit  of  God;  and  it  is  a  pity  it 
should  ever  be  otherwise  until  the  mind  submits,  then  it 
will  be  its  only  peace  and  comfort.  It  is  the  way  with  all 
true  and  useful  doctrines  that  the  proud  rebellious  minds 
of  sinners  under  divine  influences  are  perplexed  until 
they  submit  to  them  cordially,  then  they  become  the 
source  of  consolation  and  comfort;  and  it  is  indeed  a 
pity  that  sinners  should  live  in  peace  when  God  speaks 
no  peace  unto  them;  and  if  the  doctrine  of  election  has 
a  tendency  to  break  a  sinner's  peace  and  quiet  it  ought 
to  be  preached  to  them  a  thousand  times  oftener  than 
it  is.  If  it  is  painful  to  serious  minds  it  is  so  much  the 
better,  for  there  is  danger  of  too  much  peace  in  such  cases 
on  a  false  footing.  But  if  the  doctrine  of  election  gets  a 
right  hold  of  them  they  will  find  little  rest  for  the  sole  of 
their  foot  till  theygfly  to  the  ark ;  and  until  they  do  that  I 
congratulate  them  under  every  pain  they  feel.  And  if  it 
drives  them  to  despair  that  is  the  very  thing  I  would  wish 
for.  God  grant  that  it  may  always  have  this  effect.  If  this 
pride*  destroying  doctrine  was  more  preached  than  it  is, 
and  more  thought  on  and  studied,  we  should  have  ten 
despairing  prodigals  and  consequently  ten  comfortable 
christians  for  one.  I  do  not  mean  despairing  of  mercy 
but  despairing  of  salvation  by  the  deeds  of  the  law.  There 
is  no  danger  of  election  driving  a  sinner  to  despair  of  mer- 
cy. It  is  the  only  sovereign  antidote  against  it  in  all  the 
bible.  No  sinner  ever  yet  in  this  world  despaired  but  on 
legal  principles.  This  glorious  doctrine  points  the  sinner 


151 

to  the  impossibility  of  suUulion  by  the  law;  and  on  the 
otlicr  hand  presents  the  infinite  treasures  of  free  graee  in 
Clnist  Jesus  to  the  lost  soul*  How  soon  the  poor  soul 
cries  "  Lord  save  me  or  I  perish." 

Suppose  the  doetrine  of  election  has  difficulties,  are  w  c 
obliged  to  solve  them?  iMust  every  caviller  know  every 
tiling?  and  arc  we  bound  to  make  him  wise  whether  wc 
can  or  not?  and  because  we  camiot  solve  every  difficulty 
in  this  doctrine,  must  we  say  nothing  about  it? 

And  to  excuse  ignorance  this  doctrine  is  pretended  to 
be  hard  to  understand.  For  my  part  I  do  not  pretend  to 
much  depth,  yet  I  never  felt  any  difficulty  in  understand- 
ing it,  at  least  as  much  of  it  as  was  necessary  to  answer  eve- 
ry purpose.  If  we  will  only  omit  some  difficulties  respect- 
ing God's  infinity,  and  admit  on  God's  authority  that  he 
can  have  a  plan  equal  with  his  own  existence,  also  that  he 
can  and  does  execute  that  plan  consistent  with  the  liberty 
of  moral  agents,  then  the  difficulty  is  all  over.  I  used  to 
oppose  this  doctrine,  not  sentimentally,  but  in  my  heart; 
not  because  I  did  not  understand  it,  but  because  I  hated 
it.  I  hated  it,  not  because  I  thought  it  wrong,  but  because 
1  knew  it  was  right.  I  knew  it  was  right,  not  because  I 
knew  I  was  taken  in,  but  because  I  knew  I  deserved  to  be 
left  out.  I  thought  if  salvation  was  suspended  on  some- 
thing that  I  could  do,  and  if  God  would  only  give  me  a 
few  weeks  or  months  to  try  my  hand  I  could  work  won 
ders;  but  to  be  tied  up  to  free  grace  was  dreadful.  There 
I  was  like  a  wild  bull  taken  in  a  net.    M}'  proud  heart 
wanted  a  chance  to  do  something.  I  did  not  doubt  of  my 
salvation  if  I  only  could  get  a  finger  in  it.  I  was  in  solid 
earnest,  and  my  loins  girt  about  ready  for  business.  But 
alas!   I  must  be  saved  by  grace!   This  was  the  unsur- 
mountable  heart-break.  What  difficulties  1  had!   I  could 
propound  them  too  with  such  a  glare  of  reason.    But 
I  had  to  bend  at  last;  yet  it  was  because  I  was  overcome 
by  the  power  of  free  grace.  I  had  either  to  bend  or  break. 


152 

Not  tliat  I  understood  the  doctrine  any  better  than  I  did 
before,  but  I  had  tried  my  best  and  did  nothing,  and  had 
to  give  up  like  a  poor  fool  that  nothing  but  experience 
could  teach,  and  cry  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner;" 
and  by  that  means  I  made  my  calling  and  election  sure, 
and  I  ascertained  and  made  sure  to  myself  what  was  sure 
from  eternity  with  God. 

The  doctrine  of  election  does  not  hinder  a  man  to  be 
saved  by  works.  Every  man  has  every  chance  he  could 
wish  to  try  his  skill  and  power  to  the  utmost.  It  only 
tells  us  we  cannot  be  saved  by  the  deeds  of  the  law,  but 
only  by  free  grace;  but  we  are  angry  at  it  because  it  tells  us 
the  truth.  Election  is  the  glorious  message  sent  down  from 
heaven,  "Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth 
"peace,  good  will  towards  men."  If  there  w^as  no  elec- 
tion, or  if  God  had  chosen  devils  instead  of  men  not  one 
individual  of  the  human  race  since  the  fall  could  be  saved 
by  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  or  rather  by  his  own 
righteousness;  for  none  could  make  atonement  for  past 
crimes.  Therefore  election  shows  that  salvation  is  by 
free  grace;  and  because  salvation  could  not  be  by  works 
it  must  be  by  grace  or  not  at  all ;  but  grace  could  not  be 
given  without  a  giver,  and  that  the  proper  person  too; 
but  the  proper  person  could  not  give  grace  Avithout  an 
eternal  design ;  he  was  under  no  obligation  to  give  grace 
to  any,  and  he  did  not  choose  to  give  it  to  all,  but  only  to 
some.  Hence  election  is  the  result  of  God's  own  will. 
It  secures  the  salvation  of  the  chosen,  and  the  rest  are  not 
injured  in  the  least;  they  have  the  covenant  of  works  in 
full  force  and  every  chance  to  fulfil  it  which  they  could 
have  had  since  the  fall  if  there  had  never  been  any  pur- 
pose of  grace  at  all.  As  to  those  who  are  chosen,  Go^ 
from  eternity  purposed  to  show  mercy  to  them,  and  con- 
sequently made  full  preparation  by  the  death  of  Christ, 
&c.  for  their  complete  salvation,  and  as  he  is  a  God  of 


15S 

power  and  unchangeability  he  completely  hrinp^s  his  pur- 
poses to  cflect  by  the  means  which  he  has  appointed. 

Now  all  this  is  easily  understood.  Many  may  say  they  do 
not  like  it,  but  none  can  say,  consistent  with  truth,  that 
they  do  not  understand  it  without  demonstrating  that  they 
are  so  perverse  and  stupid  that  they  know  not  what  God 
means  when  he  said  to  Moses  "  I  will  have  mercy  on  whom 
"I  will  have  mercy." 

I  readily  grant  this  doctrine  ought  to  be  touched  with 
a  careful  hand;  but  let  us  not  be  so  careful  as  not  to  touch 
it  at  all.  And  that  must  be  too  great  a  degree  of  prudence 
and  caution  which  scarcely  ever  ventures  to  publish  to  sin- 
ners God's  purpose  to  be  gracious  to  their  souls.  I  feci 
confident,  my  brethren,  that  the  doctrine  of  election  is  too 
little  studied,  both  by  preachers  and  people ;  and  it  is  my 
humble  opinion  that  this  is  one  of  the  leading  causes  why 
too  many  christians  are  so  volatile  in  their  sentiments, 
unsteady  in  their  comfort,  so  beclouded  in  their  views, 
and  so  far  from  a  gospel  assurance  of  their  salvation.  We 
ought  to  make  the  gospel  plain  and  easy  to  sinners;  and 
when  we  preach  Christ  crucified,  sinners  ought  to  behold 
him  as  the  gift  of  God,  and  all  the  blessings  of  the  gospel, 
as  blessings  bequeathed  through  Christ  in  the  everlasting 
covenant  of  grace,  well  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure. 

The  doctrine  of  election,  my  brethren,  is  the  short  v/ay 
to  heaven;  it  is  the  plainest  and  best  way;  it  is  the  most 
comfortable  way  for  a  sinner  to  travel ;  it  is  the  easiest 
found,  and  good  entertainment  the  whole  way,  and 
crosses  the  river  Jordan  at  a  comfortable  ford.  Let  us 
make  it  a  point  to  direct  our  people  in  this  way,  and  not 
give  them  wrong  directions  and  marks  which  will  tend  to 
perplex  and  bewilder  the  mind.  So  we  will  do  our  duty 
as  ministers  of  Christ,  and  greatly  bless  the  churches 
under  our  care. 

U 


154 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Improvement  farther  continued. 

I  PROCEED  in  the  last  place  to  address  my  readers  at 
large  on  this  most  interesting  subject.  I  feel  myself  con- 
fident that  it  would  be  to  the  best  interest  of  the  churches 
and  every  individual,  firmly  to  believe,  understand,  and 
submit  to  the  doctrine  of  election.  Suppose  you  were  to 
find  a  person  who  would  say  "  if  I  am  elected  I  will  be 
"  saved,  if  not  I  will  be  damned  let  me  do  what  I  will,'* 
must  you  deny  this  important  doctrine  because  this  man 
abuses  it?  How  unreasonable  this  would  be.  On  the  same 
principles  you  might  deny  every  truth  in  the  gospel;  for 
you  cannot  find  one  but  what  has  been  abused.  And  when 
you  yield  the  point,  what  have  you  gained?  Have  you 
saved  his  soul?  Have  you  changed  his  heart?  Tell  him 
that  God  has  no  particular  purpose  to  save  him  or  any 
other  person;  that  he  must  act  for  himself,  for  all  de- 
pends on  his  own  exertions;  what  wuU  be  the  effect?  It 
will  stir  him  up,  you  say,  and  induce  him  to  try  his  best. 
But  what  will  he  do?  Will  he  go  to  the  law  or  the  gospel? 
He  cannot  go  to  the  gospel,  but  on  the  doctrine  of  free 
grace;  and  if  he  goes  to  the  law  it  will  damn  him.  Now 
what  do  you  gain  by  denying  the  doctrine  of  election? 
Suppose  you  are  the  person  yourself  labouring  under 
those  difficulties.  Do  you  want  an  excuse  to  live  in  sin? 
1  would  prostitute  the  truths  of  God  as  well  as  you,  were 
I  to  deny  them,  to  keep  you  from  abusing  them;  for  as 
fast  as  I  would  deny  one  you  would  pass  on  to  another. 
Were  I  to  tell  you  that  election  was  not  true,  and  that  you 
must  be  saved,  or  not  according  as  you  would  improve, 
you  would  say  you  could  do  nothing.  So  you  would  pass 
through  the  whole;  and  the  conclusion  would  be  you 
would  go  on  in  sin  in  spite  of  all  the  truths  in  the  bible. 


155 

But  are  you  concerned  about  your  salvation?  If  so,  you 
certainly  w  ish  to  have  an  opportunity  either  to  be  saved, 
or  to  save  yourself.  But  remember  you  cannot  save  your- 
self; and  even  if  there  was  no  election  you  could  no  more 
save  yourself  then  than  you  can  now;  but  it  may  be  God 
will  save  you.  Do  you  feel  a  sense  of  sin?  Do  you  find 
salvation  offered  to  you  in  the  gospel?  Do  you  feel  your 
heart  willing  to  submit  to  those  offers,  and  to  cast  away 
every  other  dependence?  Why  then  should  you  deny  the 
doctrine  of  election?  Your  very  hea*  is  submitting  to  it; 
for  it  is  on  this  doctrine  only  that  free  salvation  is  oftered 
to  you;  and  it  is  by  free  grace  given  to  you,  that  you  feel 
your  heart  inclined  to  receive  the  salvation  A\hich  is 
freely  offered.  All  must  be  a  free  gift,  and  the  glorious 
Giver  unchangeable  in  his  purpose. 

The  more  your  mind  is  conversant  about  the  doctrine 
of  election,  the  more  you  will  be  drawn  off  from  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  works;  for  those  two  doctrines 
constantly  hold  opposite  scales;  as  the  one  sinks  the  other 
rises.  The  more  you  lean  towards  legality,  the  less  glory 
you  will  give  to  God,  and  the  more  you  wish  to  arrogate 
to  yourself.  A  legal  spirit  is  a  spirit  of  bondage;  it  al- 
ways begets  fear,  and  overwhelms  the  soul  with  difficul- 
ties on  every  hand.  But  when  we  can  place  our  whole 
trust  in  God,  in  his  gracious  promises  founded  on  his  own 
eternal  purpose  which  he  purposed  in  himself,  we  have  an 
immovable  rock  to  trust  to ;  and  our  confidence  will 
truly  be  strong;  for  it  will  be  in  God  only  "  who  hath 
"^'  saved  us  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  accord- 
"  ing  to  our  works  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and 
'*  grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  before  the 
*'  world  began."  No  christian  can  be  comfortable  without 
he  enjoys  a  degree  of  assurance  as  to  his  future  happiness. 
There  are  two  things  which  the  scriptures  give  us  as  the 
leading  characteristics  of  a  christian:  the  one  is  faith;  the 
other  is  holiness.  In  the  exercise  of  holiness  we  are  led  to 


156 

feelings  and  frames ;  by  faith  we  are  led  to  the  promises 
of  the  gospel;  the  promises  are  founded  on  the  doctrine 
of  election;  and  by  God's  unchangeable  faithfulness  ac- 
cording to  his  divine  purpose,  the  blessings  of  eternal 
life  are  made  sure  to  the  believer.  Consequently  thbse 
christians  who  make  holiness  the  leading  ground  of  their 
hope  are  seldom  really  comfortable.  Their  feelings  and 
frames  are  very  various  and  always  imperfect;  there  is  al- 
ways something  objectionable  appears  in  their  liveliest 
times;  and  in  times%f  deadness  they  are  always  sad  and 
suspicious.  Hence  it  is  that  this  sort  of  christians  are  full 
of  changes.  What  they  rejoice  in  at  one  time  they  con- 
demn at  another;  and  the  hope  which  filled  their  hearts 
with  gladness  to-day  is  gone  by  to-morrow,  and  when 
gone  is  sure  to  be  condemned  as  vague  and  hypocritical; 
doubts  and  glooms  take  place  and  continue  until  they  are 
dispelled  by  the  next  lively  frame.  This  is  in  consequence 
of  the  lack  of  a  proper  exercise  of  faith.  But  no  person 
can  exercise  faith  as  he  ought  to  do  but  on  the  proper 
grounds  of  faith.  The  proper  ground  of  faith  is  election. 
I  never  can  trust  a  man's  word  unless  I  have  reason  to 
believe  that  he  purposes  to  do  as  he  says.  Therefore  all 
doubting  christians  oppose  the  doctrine  of  election;  and 
although  they  profess  the  doctrine  as  true,  yet  they  do  not 
feel  it  so;  and  consequently  they  lean  to  legality.  And 
trusting  too  much  to  the  exercises  of  their  own  hearts, 
and  not  to  the  promises  of  God,  they  are  naturally  led  off 
from  the  doctrine  of  free  grace  to  the  practical  things  of 
religion.  And  instead  of  acknowledging  with  gratitude 
the  influences  of  divine  grace  on  their  hearts,  as  the  faith- 
ful performance  of  God's  unchangeable  promise  to  them, 
which  would  lead  theni  to  and  strengthen  them  in  the  di- 
rect exercises  of  faith  on  Christ,  they  make  these  feelings 
the  ground  of  their  hope.  This  makes  them  work  hard  for 
little  profit ;  and  they  never  can  and  it  would  be  a  pity  they 
ever  should  get  solid  comfort  until  they  quit  building  on 
their  attainments,  without  looking  to  the  foundation. 


157 

But  on  the  other  hand,  when  the  christian  makes  sure 
work  of  faith,  cordially  consenting  to  the  gospel  plan,  which 
is  an  act  of  the  mind  choosing,  and  by  choosing  receiving 
Christ  and  his  salvation,  as  a  matter  of  free  unmerited 
grace  oftered  in  the  gospel;  when  in  consequence  of  this 
covenant  contract  with  Christ,  held  forth  on  Christ's  part 
in  the  offers  of  the  gospel  and  acknowledged  on  the  sin- 
ner's part  by  the  hearty  consent  of  the  will;  in  this  case  the 
christian  goes  on  in  a  suitable  exercise  of  dependence  on 
the  immutable  promises  of  God,  and  hopes  to  receive 
salvation  in  full,  and  in  due  order,  according  to  God's 
unchangeable  purpose  of  grace.  And  standing  on  this 
ground  he  thankfully  receives  what  ever  grace,  and  in 
what  ever  degree  God  sees  fit  to  bestow,  believing  that 
God  does  purpose  to  save  his  soul,  and  will  bestow  all 
necessary  blessings  according  to  his  purpose  w  hich  never 
had  a  beginning,  and  never  can  change  or  fall  through- 
And  every  evidence  of  religion,  such  as  holiness,  repen- 
tance, hatred  to  sin,  love  to  God  and  his  people,  and  all 
his  acts  of  obedience,  flowing  from  those  principles,  he 
thankfully  views  not  only  as  positive  evidence  by  facts 
that  he  is  in  a  state  of  grace,  but  also  as  blessings  be- 
stowed according  to  the  same  great  plan  and  purpose  of 
grace  which  God  has  purposed  in  himself. 

When  a  christian  thus  goes  upon  the  whole  plan  of  the 
gospel,  he  not  only  honors  God  with  his  whole  soul,  but 
he  cannot  but  enjoy  the  proper  scriptural  comforts  of  the 
gospel.  Every  cliristian  goes  upon  this  plan  less  or  more ; 
and  he  is  right  or  wrong,  comfortable  or  uncomfortable, 
exactly  in  proportion  as  he  does  or  does  not  proceed  upon 
it.  But  let  me  ask  my  readers,  how  it  is  possible  for  any 
person  to  be  such  a  christian  as  I  have  described  unless 
he  proceeds  on  the  doctrine  of  election?  Must  not  this 
doctrine  be  his  very  life  and  support?  Could  he  enjoy 
any  solid  comfort  without  it?  Could  God  either  give  or 
promise  to  give  him  any  thing  without  an  eternal,  un- 
changeable purpoijc?  And  if  the  christiaji  does  not  depend 


158 

upon  that  purpose  which  God  has  expressed  in  his  pro- 
mises on  what  will  he  or  can  he  depend?  Certainly  no- 
thing but  works.  If  he  depends  on  works  has  he  a  scriptu- 
ral dependence?  Will  he  be  comfortable?  If  he  is  com- 
fortable will  it  be  a  true  gospel  comfort  ? 

Therefore  I  think  you  must  see  the  great  advantage, 
yea,  the  great  necessity  of  being  well  established  in  the 
doctrine  of  election.  I  exhort  you  my  friends  to  study  this 
glorious  doctrine  accurately;  give  your  minds  to  it  se- 
riously; consider  and  feel  it  a  most  interesting  subject; 
and  if  you  find  that  it  hurts  your  feelings  and  disturbs 
your  minds,  remember  that  it  becomes  you  to  give  dili- 
gence to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure.  It  is  your 
duty  to  yield  your  hearts  to  the  gospel,  to  consider  what 
that  gospel  is  which  encourages  you  to  hope  for  salvation; 
whether  it  extends  free  grace  to  lost  sinners;  and  whether 
the  promises  of  salvation  are  established  on  the  eternal 
truth  and  unchangeable  faithfulness  of  God. 

When  you  have  opportunities  to  hear  the  subject  dis- 
cussed by  your  pastors,  attend  with  seriousness  and  do 
not  suffer  your  minds  to  be  filled  with  prejudice  either 
against  the  doctrine  or  against  those  who  preach  it  faith- 
fully. It  is  indeed  a  great  unhappiness  in  the  churches 
that  when  this  doctrine  is  explained  or  vindicated  in  the 
pulpit,  too  many  of  our  hearers  are  disposed  to  be  an- 
gry and  to  set  their  hearts  in  direct  opposition  to  it;  they 
will  not  hear;  they  seem  as  if  they  could  not  bear  to 
hear  the  doctrine  of  free  unmerited  grace,  or  election 
maintained  or  established  even  by  the  word  of  God. 
They  shut  their  ears  against  the  sound;  they  shut 
their  eyes  against  the  light;  they  harden  their  hearts 
against  the  truth:  and  hence  it  is  that  works!  works! 
works  forever  is  the  song,  the  topic  of  the  heart,  the 
ground  of  hope  and  the  cause  of  fear  and  doubts!  I 
never  was  acquainted  with  a  trembling,  doubting,  de- 
sponding christian  yet,  but  I  found  that  he*"w^as  a  poor 
drudge,  a  slave  to  the  la\y,  a  mere  dependent  on  his  duties, 


159 

feelings  and  frames.  On  the  other  hand,  1  never  saw  a 
christian  who  was  uniform  and  steady  in  his  comforts,  but 
who  evidently  showed  that  he  drank  out  of  the  fountain 
of  God's  unchangeable  purpose  of  free  grace.  He  had  his 
dependence  on  Christ  and  felt  a  confidence  becoming  the 
gospel,  that  God's  purpose  tlirough  grace  according  to 
the  promises  of  the  gospel,  would  be  fulfilled;  and  con- 
sequently his  hope  of  eternal  salvation  was  strong.  But 
you  may  wrestle  and  mourn,  and  fret  month  after  month 
and  year  after  year,  you  will  never  enjoy  any  comfortable 
degree  of  this  hope  until  you  make  your  election  sure. 
You  must  not  only  acknowledge  the  doctrine,  and  afen 
admit  your  minister  to  preach  it  without  frowns,  sour 
looks,  and  a  gainsaying  heart,  but  you  must  make  it  the 
very  ground  of  your  salvation.  This  you  must  do,  not  by 
a  cold  speculative  assent  to  the  truth  that  God  will  be 
merciful  to  whom  he  will  be  merciful;  but  you  must 
accept  of  the  mercy  which  he  freely  offers  to  you,  and 
account  the  whole  from  first  to  last,  a  gracious  gift  of 
God,  given  to  you  not  for  works  of  righicousness  which 
you  have  done,  but  in  consequence  of  your  being  predes- 
tinated, according  to  the  purpose  of  Him  vvho  worketh 
all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will.  You  must 
count  yourselves  quickened  together  with  Christ  (united 
to  Christ)  when  you*werc  dead  in  sin,  saved  by  faith  that 
it  might  be  by  grace,  and  you  the  workmanship  of  God 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works  which  God  hath 
before  ordained  that  you  should  walk  in  them.  Not  that 
you  are  to  conclude  all  this  to  be  true  as  to  you  out  ot 
Christ,  which  would  be  preposterous;  or  that  true  faifli 
consists  in  believing  that  Christ  died  for  you  in  particu- 
lar, or  that  you  will  be  saved  let  you  do  what  you  will; 
but  I  am  speaking  of  a  christian  who  has  given  up  his 
whole  soul  to  Christ  by  the  full  consent  of  the  will,  encou- 
raged to  venture  upon  him  by  the  free  offers  of  grace  in 
the  gospel.  Such  a  christian  ought  to  know  the  grounds 


160 

of  his  hope;  and  those  grounds  ought  always  to  be  God's 
own  unchangeable  purpose  of  mercy.  How  can  you  attain 
to  such  exercises  as  these  except  you  acknowledge  the 
doctrine  of  election'?  How  can  you  attain  to  a  lively  uni- 
form exercise  of  faith  in  Christ,  unless  you  have  the 
divine  purpose  of  God  in  view?  Will  it  not  tend  to  culti- 
vate faith  and  hope  in  your  hearts  if  3^ou  were  to  have  clear 
discoveries  of  the  nature  of  free  grace  in  the  whole  of 
your  salvation,  also  to  have  clear  views  of  the  plan  on 
which  grace  is  bestowed  upon  a  hell-deserving  sinner, 
where  and  how  that  grace  originated,  through  whom  it  is 
bestowed,  and. what  is  the  nature  and  unchangeable  per- 
fection of  the  Giver?  These  are  the  very  leading  features 
of  the  gospel ;  and  who  can  study  into  these  things  with- 
out taking  into  view  the  very  essence  of  the  doctrine  of 
election. 

Such  is  the  interesting  nature  of  this  doctrine,  that 'I 
feel  it  my  duty  to  urge  it  upon  every  individual  to  make 
himself  acquainted  with  it,  and  not  only  so  but  to  make 
use  of  it  in  all  christian  exercises.  If  you  have  not  an  op- 
portunity to  hear  this  subject  handled  in  the  pulpit  as  often 
as  you  would  wish,  yet  you  enjoy  the  happy  privilege  to 
read  it  in  the  bible.  It  is  a  grand  mistake  that  election,  as 
some  would  insinuate,  is  one  of  the  secret  things  which 
belong  unto  God  and  not  unto  us; 'it  is  true  we  are  not 
told  the  precise  number  or  the  individuals  elected.  But  I 
have  I  think  sufficiently  proven  that  the  scriptures  abun- 
dantly prove  the  doctrine  to  be  revealed  to  us. 

What  an  unhappiness  it  is  (not  to  say  shame)  that  when 
God  has  revealed  such  an  important  doctrine,  which  is  the 
very  foundation  of  the  gospel,  which  is  the  only  proper 
ground  of  the  encouragement  of  a  lost  sinner  and  the 
hope  and  comfort  of  a  christian,  it  should  be  kept  hid  in 
the  bible  and  neither  read  with  pleasure  nor  considered 
with  accuracy. 

Many  a  poor  christian  goes  halting  to  his  grave;  he 
seems  to  blunder  into  heaven  unawares,  after  travelling 


161 
the  whole  way  in  darkness,  not  being  able  to  trust  his  Sa- 
viour's  word  and  promise.  Well  might  our  Lord  address 
liim  after  he  liad  by  a  faithful  hand  rescued  him  from  the 
billows  of  Jordan.  -O  thou  of  little  faith,  wherefore  didst 
thou  doubt?"  What  would  be  his  answer?  "I  never  could 
-  believe  that  thou  hadst  an  eternal  design  to  save  me,  but 
-now  I  know  it  and  glory  to  thy  name."  Christ  might 
reply  as  he  did  to  Thomas,  "  because  thou  hast  seen  mc 
•'thou  hast  believed,  blessed  are  they  who  have  not  seen 
■'and  vet  have  believed."  ^ 

May  God  of  his  boundless  goodness  direct  us  mtothe 
knowledge  of  his  will,  "  for  of  Him  and  through  Him  and 
•'to  Him  are  all  things."  To  whom  be  glory  for  ever. 
Amen. 


162 


BOOK  111. 

The  nature  of  the  different  laws  of  God.   The  Covenant  of 
Works  and  the  Covenant  of  Redemption. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  nature  of  the  moral  laws  of  God. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  laws  which  God  has  insti- 
tuted among  mankind  to  direct  them  in  their  duty,  and  to 
establish  their  happiness,  and  to  promote  his  own  glory. 
All  which  he  has  established  under  various  dispensations 
by  his  awful  autliority  as  the  moral  Governor  of  the  world: 
1.  Moral  laws,  2.  Positive  laws,  3.  Laws  by  way  of  cove- 
nant, contract,  or  agreement. 

1.  The  moral  laws  of  God  are  summarily  compre- 
hended in  the  ten  commandments.  They  are  called  mo- 
ral, not  only  because  they  are  general  rules  to  direct  us 
in  our  manners  and  conduct,  but  because  they  are  natu- 
rally right,  and  have  their  authority  not  merely  from  God 
as  a  Sovereign  but  also  from  their  own  natural  propriety 
and  holiness.  God's  moral  laws  are  truly  glorious  in  con- 
sequence of  his  divine  authority  enjoining  them  upon  his 
creatures,  because  the  sovereign  authority  of  such  a 
being,  as  God  is,  must  give  infinite  dignity  to  the  laws 
which  he  has  given.  This  glory  belongs  equally  to  all  the 
various  laws  which  God  has  given  to  his  creatures.  Even 
the  laws  which  were  merely  ceremonial  and  only  intended  to 
answer  some  particular  purposes,  and  to  continue  only  for 


163 

a  time,  diirinp^  certain  circumstances  had  equal  dignity  m 
this  respect  with  any  others  while  they  continued  in  force, 
but  God  in  his  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  by  his  own 
awful  sovereignty  could  alter,  repeal,  or  disannul  them 
when  he  pleased;  and  when  disannulled  they  had  no  claim 
to  reverence  and  respect,  as  existing  laws  of  our  Creator. 
But  the  moral  laws  of  God  are  truly  very  different.  They 
arc  right  in  their  own  nature,  and  never  can  be  repealed,  or 
disannulled,  even  by  the  authority  of  God.  At  first  view, 
perhaps,  this  may  be  thought  blasphemy.  And  I  acknow- 
ledge that  many  sensible  divines  and  philosophers  have 
thought  otherwise.  It  seems  a  daring  thought  that  the 
divine  Being  should  be  governed  in  his  procedure  by  any 
thing  but  his  own  divine  will.  It  seems  to  imply  that 
there  is  something  on  which  God  must  depend,  and  con- 
sequently must  be  his  superior. 

But  notwithstanding  the  apparent  plausibility  of  those 
objections,  I  sincerely  advise  the  advocates  for  God's 
absolute  sovereignty  over  even  the  moral  law,  or  moral 
principles,  to  beware  lest  they  have  a  zeal  for  God,  but 
not  according  to  knowledge.  While,  through  the  good- 
ness of  their  hearts,  they  wish  to  think  and  speak  for 
God's  glory,  they  should  beware  lest  through  improper 
views  of  moral  excellence,  or  what  constitutes  the  real 
glory  of  God,  they  think  and  say  things  which  must  of 
necessity  destroy  all  proper  notions  of  God's  moral  cha- 
racter, and  consequently  strip  his  moral  perfections  of  all 
their  glory.  It  would  be  our  duty  to  love  God,  if  he  had 
never  commanded  us  to  do  it.  And  the  excellence  of  that 
command  is  so  far  from  depending  on  the  will  of  God 
that  the  will  of  God  is  excellent,  because  it  enjoins  that 
on  us  which  is  in  itself  excellent.  Had  the  will  of  God 
been  otherwise  we  could  not  be  under  obligations  to 
obey.  If  God  had  commanded  me  to  kill  my  neighijour, 
or  my  child  through  malice,  spite,  or  revenge;  if  his  will 
was  that  I  should  deceive  and  lie,  my  duty  would  be  to 


164 

disobey.  For  superiority  in  natural  powers  never  can 
infer  moral  obligation,  to  do  what  is  morally  wrong- 
Hence  you  see  that  the  glory  of  God  consists  in  his  mo- 
ral excellence,  or  in  other  words,  in  his  conformity  to  the 
moral  law.  God  himself  is  as  firmly  bound  in  duty  (not 
obedience)  to  his  creatures,  as  his  creatures  are  bound  in 
obedience  (or  duty)  to  him.  What  we  call  the  principles 
of  moral  rectitude  require  that  both  God  and  his  crea- 
tures, according-  to  their  respective  relations,  state,  or 
condition,  should  do  that  which  is  right.  It  would  have 
been  wrong  had  God  given  bad  laws  to  his  creatures ;  but 
the  laws  of  God  are  holy,  just,  and  good,  and  conse- 
quently they  are  a  glory  to  the  Lawgiver.  Had  he  given 
contrary  laws  it  must  have  been  to  his  dishonor;  and  his 
arbitrary  will  could  never  have  justified  his  requisitions. 
But  the  glory  of  God  consists  in  his  will's  being  perfectly 
right,  and  his  universal  government  being  founded  on  the 
precise  principles  of  equity. 

It  is  on  these  principles  only  that  we  can  say  that  God 
is  holy,  that  he  is  lovely,  or  that  he  is  to  be  reverenced.  I 
confess  that  God's  spirituality,  his  infinity,  his  power,  and 
his  wisdom  (as  far  as  wisdom  is  a  natural  perfection) 
when  considered  as  exercised  according  to  the  nicest 
principles  of  moral  excellence,  give  an  awfully  grand 
idea  of  the  unspeakable  glory  of  God.  But  take  away  this 
latter  idea,  and  what  have  you  left?  A  Spirit  every  where, 
dreadful  in  power,  full  of  subtilty,  and  always  acting  ar- 
bitrarily without  any  law,  or  rule  of  rectitude.  We  might 
fear  him,  it  is  true,  but  we  never  could  love  him,  or  have 
any  complaisance  in  him ;  and  for  this  good  reason,  be- 
cause he  would  have  nothing  in  him  lovely;  but  every 
thing  that  is  terrible. 

Let  us  admit  for  a  moment  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  what  we  call  the  reason  and  nature  of  things,  or  first 
principles  of  moral  rectitude,  or  natural  right  and  wrong. 


165 

Or  in  other  words,  let  us  say  that  right  and  wrong  arc 
solely  determined  by  the  will  of  God;  that  whatever  God 
wills  is  right,  let  that  be  what  it  may.  On  this  hypothesisi 
these  things  will  follow. 

1.  That  God  is  a  t}  rant,  and  all  his  creatures  are  slaves. 
A  tyrant  is  one  who  governs  by  laws  founded  on  his  own 
will,  without  being  obliged  to  found  those  laws  on  rules 
of  equity.  A  slave  is  one  M'ho  is  obliged  to  obey  those 
laws,  let  them  be  right  or  wrong. 

2.  It  would  be  morally  imi)ossii3le  for  God  to  have  a^ 
will  at  all.  If  a  being  has  no  motives  to  influence  his 
choice;  or  rather  to  induce  him  to  choose,  or  if  the  argu- 
ments on  both  sides  are  in  every  respect  equal,  that  being 
does  not  choose,  because  he  cannot  possibly  have  a 
choice;  he  cannot  be  swayed  either  to  the  one  hand  or  to 
the  other,  for  there  is  nothing  to  influence  him;  he  conse- 
quently cannot  possibly  have  a  will,  or  at  least  his  will 
cannot  possibly  act.  In  all  moral  cases,  every  motive  must 
be  an  argument,  showing  something  to  be  right  or  wrong ; 
and  it  is  impossible  for  an  argument  to  be  without  a  foun- 
dation ;  there  must  be  some  rule  or  data  on  which  it  must 
rest,  and  from  which  it  can  draw  the  influential  conclu- 
sion. Now  on  the  above  hypothesis,  where  is  the  rule  or 
data?  There  is  none,  for  none  will  be  granted.  Therefore 
there  can  be  no  argument,  and  consequently  no  motive. 
The  conclusion  is  inevitable,  God  cannot  possibly  have  a 
will;  or  if  you  would  rather  his  will  must  forever  lie  dor 
mant;  for  there  can  be  nothing  to  draw  it  into  action*. 

3.  The  divine  Being  never  could  act  at  all.  Every  one 
knows,  who  knows  any  thing,  that  the  will  is  the  leading 
spring  of  action.  Without  it  we  can  neither  stir  hand  nor 
foot.  Before  God  could  be  supposed  to  act,  wc  must  sup- 
]iose  him  to  choose  his  line  of  conduct.  But  according  to 

*  Dr.  Edwards  has  demonstrated  beyond  all  contradiction  that  there 
i.:an  be  no  such  thinti;  as  a  sclf-determinini^  power  in  the  will.  Edwards 
on  Free  Will. 


166 

the  above  demonstration  this  could  not  possibly  be. 
Therefore  by  the  above  hypothesis,  the  glorious  Creator 
and  moral  Governor  of  the  universe  is  nothing  but  a  great 
almighty  Spirit,  inert,  absolutely  motionless,  and  incapa- 
ble of  choice,  and  yet  the  whole  moral  law  depending  on 
his  will. 

But  God  is  an  infinite  Spirit  whose  will  is  perfect,  and 
whose  works  are  glorious ;  and  of  course  the  above  hypo- 
thesis must  fall  to  the  ground. 

Again :  What  do  we  mean  when  we  say  that  God  cre- 
ated us  in  his  own  image  or  likeness?  We  only  mean  that 
he  made  us  holy,  and  that  our  holiness  is  the  very  same 
as  his.  But  what  is  our  holiness?  Nothing  but  a  confor- 
mity to  the  moral  law.  The  holiness  of  God  consequently 
must  be  the  very  same  thing,  even  a  conformity  to  the 
moral  law.  Why  does  the  christian  glorify  God  for  his 
holiness?  Is  it  merely  because  God  has  a  will,  or  because 
he  chooses  one  thing  to  be  right  and  another  thing  to  be 
wrong?  No,  but  because  he  conceives  the  will  of  God  to 
be  perfectly  right.  Why  does  he  love  the  law?  Is  it  merely 
because  it  is  the  will  of  God?  No,  but  because  it  is  holy, 
just,  and  good.  Why  does  the  christian  love  God?  It  is 
because  he  is  holy.  But  whj^does  he  love  holiness?  Is  it 
because  God  is  holy.  Nay  verily,  that  is  the  reason  he 
loves  God  J  but  he  loves  holiness  because  it  is  in  itself 
right,  and  not  wrong;  and  consequently  it  is  lovely  in  its 
nature,  and  renders  every  thing  lovely  that  is  possessed  of 
it;  and  because  God  is  perfectly  holy,  he  is  perfectly 
lovely. 

The  notion  that  God  is  above  all  law  is  in  my  humble 
opinion  a  vague  undefined  notion;  and  I  hesitate  not  to 
pronounce  it  an  unintelligible  idea.  It  is  true,  and  it  will  for- 
ever be  a  truth,  that  God  is  not  dependent  on  any  of  his  crea- 
tures; that  he  cannot  be  accountable  to  any;  that  he  owes 
obedience  to  none.  But  that  he  is  under  no  obligations 
by  any  rule  or  law  whatever,  gives  me  such  an  inglorious 


167 

idea  of  God,  that  I  can  by  no  means  adopt  it.  1  must 
have  liberty  on  this  subject  to  use  common  expressions, 
such  as  obligation,  right,  wrong,  &c.  I  wish  to  speak 
with  reverence,  but  we  cannot  communicate  our  ideas 
easily,  without  speaking-  as  men.  When  God  created 
Adam,  that  moment  he  was  under  moral  obligations  to 
take  care  of  him,  to  provide  for  him,  and  to  govern  him; 
and  Adam  became  under  obligation  to  love  his  Creator, 
to  reverence  and  obey  him;  and  when  Adam  sinned,  God 
became  under  moral  obligations  to  punish  him  for  his 
crime;  and  so  we  may  say  in  all  the  various  circum- 
stances which  attend  all  the  creatures  of  God,  that  he  is 
s>o  unchangeably  holy  that  he  will  do  nothing  wrong  but 
every  thing  which  is  right  and  proper  to  be  done.  He 
must  give  them  good  laws  and  execute  them  faithfully. 
Now  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  that  if  God  had  done  other- 
wise it  must  have  been  wrong.  I  grant  the  idea  of  the 
glorious  Sovereign  of  the  universe  doing  wrong  is  indeed 
a  mere  supposition,  but  it  is  so  only  because  of  his  infi- 
nite perfection ;  and  the  glory  of  God  is  and  forever  will 
be,  that  he  is  and  always  acts  in  a  perfect  consistency 
with  the  principles  of  moral  rectitude.  He  must  conse- 
quently abide  by  a  rule;  and  that  rule  must  be  a  perfect 
one,  and  what  we  call  a  moral  law;  and  it  must  be  the 
identical  rule  which  he  gave  to  angels  and  to  men,  in  or- 
der that  they  might  wear  his  own  image.  It  is  the  glory 
of  an  angel  or  a  man  to  be  conformed  to  the  moral  law, 
because  then  and  only  then  he  is  conformed  to  God;  and 
it  is  the  supreme  glory  of  God  to  be  conformed  to  the 
self  same  rule  in  the  true  spirit  of  it;  not  merely  because 
he  chose  to  be  so,  but  he  chose  to  be  so  because  it  was 
right  and  because  he  could  not  be  glorious  any  other  way. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  bible  so  often  vindicates  the  divine 
conduct  on  these  very  principles.  "  Will  not  the  Judge 
"of  all  the  earth  do  right"?  A  God  of  truth  and  without 
"'iniquity;  just  and  right  is  he.  Be  ye  holy  for  I  the  Lord 


168 

■'your  God  am  holy.  Are  not  my  ways  equal?  Are  not 
"your  ways  unequal?  Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of 
"sin?  He  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways  and  holy  in  all  his 
"works.  Righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  habitation 
"of  his  throne.  What  iniquity  have  your  fathers  found 
"in  me  that  they  have  gone  far  from  me?  The  Lord  is 
"righteous  in  all  the  works  which  he  doeth." 

Many  such  passages  I  could  quote  plainly  showing  that 
the  bible  -s^indicates  the  honour  of  God  on  the  natural 
principles  of  morality;  even  on  the  very  rules  of  morality 
which  would  vindicate  any  man  acting  in  his  sphere  and 
in  his  degree  like  God.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  God  wills 
and  acts  according  to  the  spirit  of  the  moral  law;  and  that 
his  glory  is,  that  his  natural  perfections  are  employed  or 
exercised  in  an  infinitely  exact  conformity  to  this  law. 


CHx\PTER  H. 

The  same  subject  continued. 

Let  us  again  admit  that  God's  own  will  is  the  primary 
rule  of  his  own  actions  in  his  divine  procedure.  Then  the 
following  things  are  of  course  inevitable. 

1.  Every  act  of  God  would  be  neither  right  nor  wrong, 
and  consequently  he  would  be  entirely  void  of  holiness. 

God  could  not  be  right  because  he  would  have  no  rule 
to  justify  his  choice  or  his  conduct  in  any  thing  whatso- 
ever. He  would  not  be  wrong  for  a  similar  reason:  there 
would  be  no  rule  to  condemn  him  let  him  do  w^hat  he 
would.  An  action  cannot  be  either  virtuous  or  vicious 
without  a  choice  or  unless  it  is  voluntary.  The  will  cannot 
be  virtuous  unless  it  chooses  a  good  thing;  neither  can  it 
be  vicious  unless  it  chooses  a  bad  thing;  but  God  could 
not  choose  a  good  thing  or  refuse  a  bad  thin^;  for  by  the 
supposition  there  could  be  no  good  or  bad  thing  to  choose 


169 

or  refuse  previous  to  the  act  of  his  will.  It  follows  conse- 
quently  that  he  must  be  eternally  devoid  of  holiness. 

2.  There  could  be  no  justice  in  God.  Justice  consists 
in  punibhing  the  wicked  and  rewarding  the  righteous  as 
they  deserve;  but  according  to  this  supposition  God  could 
not  punish  or  reward  according  to  desert,  for  that  would 
imply  a  rule  of  equity  which  is  not  granted  in  the  sup- 
position. He  might  punish  the  righteous  and  reward  the 
wicked  if  he  pleased;  he  must  proceed  by  arbitrary  de- 
termination; and  consequently  there  could  be  no  justice  in 
the  case  for  want  of  a  rule  of  equity;  therefore  he  could 
not  punish  or  reward  exactly  according  to  merit;  for  the 
supposition  is  that  there  is  no  rule  but  only  the  will  of 
God.  If  he  therefore  determined  according  to  desert  it 
must  be  accident  and  not  justice.  God  is  consequently 
devoid  of  justice  according  to  this  supposition. 

3.  It  would  be  impossible  for  God  to  be  unchangeable. 
The  supposition  is  that  God  has  no  rule  but  his  own  will. 
The  will  of  God  must  change  toward  his  creatures  in 
many  respects  according  to  their  circumstances  and  con- 
duct. 

The  only  proper  notion  of  God's  unchangcability  is 
that  he  is  ne^xr  otherwise  than  he  is;  nor  can  possibly  be 
otherwise  in  all  his  natural  perfections;  and  that  in  the 
exercise  of  those  perfections  he  uniformly  and  invariably 
wills  and  acts  according  to  the  strict  rules  of  moral  recti- 
tude and  propriety  as  to  himself  and  towards  all  his  crea- 
tures in  all  their  actions;  neither  is  it  morally  possible  for 
him  to  do  otherwise.  Hence  it  is  that  his  laws,  providences, 
threatenings,  promises,  judgments  and  mercies  are  invari- 
ably in  a  most  perfect  consistency  ^\  ith  that  unchangea- 
ble rule  however  various  they  may  be  in  themselves, 
according  to  the  various  circumstances  of  his  creatures. 

Now  only  admit  the  above  supposition,  and  say  that  the 
will  of  God  is  the  primar}"  and  only  rule  of  the  actions  of 
the  Deitv;  then  the  bible  will  prove  that  God  has  changed 

Y 


170 

and  will  change  thousands  and  thousands  of  times  in  his 
conduct  towards  his  creatures  and  even  in  his  mind  and 
will  towards  them. 

For  instance:  when  God  blessed  Adam  and  placed  him 
in  the  garden  of  Eden,  he  had  one  will ;  when  he  cast  him 
out  of  the  garden  he  had  another ;  when  he  instituted  the 
covenant  of  works  as  the  only  way  to  life,  and  now  when 
he  forbids  it  and  enjoins  the  covenant  of  grace,  a  change 
has  taken  place  in  the  will  of  God,  and  consequently  in 
his  dispensations.  I  could  mention  the  choosing  and  re- 
jecting the  Jews,  the  seventh  and  the  first  day  of  the  week 
for  the  sabbath,  circumcision,  the  passover  and  baptism 
and  the  Lord's  supper,  and  many  other  important  changes 
which  took  place  in  the  mind  and  procedure  of  the  divine 
Being. 

In  vain  would  it  be  said  that  all  these  changes  take 
place  in  consequence  of  his  eternal  purpose;  I  would  rea- 
dily grant  this  but  it  would  only  make  the  matter  worse; 
for  it  would  show  that  God  from  eternity  purposed  to  be 
changeable,  and  that  he  is  changeable  by  an  unchange- 
able purpose.  There  is  a  palpable  difference  betwixt  God's 
blessing  and  condemning  Adam  with  a  will  which  is  the 
sole  rule  of  the  divine  conduct,  and  his  doing  so  with  a 
will  which  invariably  by  a  moral  necessity  acts  according 
to  what  the  rule  of  equity  requires  to  be  done  to  a  crea- 
ture according  to  his  different  deserts.  In  the  last  case  the 
mind  of  God  was  exactly  the  same  when  he  blessed  as 
when  he  condemned  Adam,  he  was  equally  just  in  both, 
and  did  not  vary  in  the  least  degree  from  what  he  ever  was 
and  ever  will  be.  The  motives  of  action  were  founded  on 
the  very  same  principles;  and  although  he  conducted  dif- 
ferently towards  his  creature,  it  was  because  the  invaria- 
ble rule  required  it  in  order  to  do  right;  but  the  divine 
ihind  suffered  not  the  least  alteration.  In  both  cases  he 
did  exactly  what  equity  and  justice  required  according  to 
the  standing  rule  of  equity  and  justice,  from  which  he 


171 

never  will  nor  ever  did  swerve  in  the  least  iota.  But  on 
the  other  hand  when  we  admit  the  will  of  God  as  the 
only  determiner  of  the  event,  1  ask  why  did  he  change 
his  mind?  You  cannot  say  because  it  was  right,  for  by  the 
supposition  it  could  not  be  right  until  the  will  of  God 
made  it  so;  consequently  the  whole  of  the  change  de- 
pended on  nothing  but  his  own  will.  When  he  did  change, 
where  was  his  unchangeability?  Do  you  say  again  he  de- 
termined from  eternity  to  change?  I  ask  by  what  rule  he 
designed  to  change?  not  a  rule  of  equity  for  that  is  forbid- 
den by  the  supposition;  the  rule  must  be  that  hedetermined 
to  alter  to  what  he  pleased.  Where  then  is  his  unchange- 
ability? If,  therefore,  God  has  nothing  to  determine  by 
but  his  own  will  he  is  one  thing  to  day  and  another  to 
morrow,  and  cannot  possibly  be  possessed  of  infinite  un- 
changeability. 

4.  If  the  \\  ill  of  God  is  the  standard  of  right  and  wrong 
then  it  would  be  no  infringement  on  the  divine  character 
to  be  unfaithful  to  his  word  and  promise,  and  the  believer 
could  have  no  solid  ground  for  hope  and  confidence. 

On  this  supposition  truth  and  falsehood  would  have  an 
equal  claim  to  propriety  if  the  divine  suffrage  could  only 
be  obtained.  If  it  was  the  will  of  God  to  speak  the  truth 
to  day  the  truth  must  be  spoken,  because  it  would  be 
wrong  to  speak  falsely.  But  if  to-morrow  it  should  be 
the  will  of  God  to  speak  falsely  it  would  be  wrong  for 
him  to  speak  the  truth,  for  his  will  would  justify  only  a 
falsehood.  While  ever  he  chose  to  keep  his  promises  it 
would  be  right  for  him  to  do  so,  but  if  he  chose  to  break 
them  it  must  be  wrong  for  him  to  keep  them;  for  it  would 
contradict  his  will  which  is  the  only  given  rule  of  equity. 
Consequently  were  he  to  deceive  and  disappoint  the  hopes 
of  all  his  people  it  could  not  be  wrong,  for  his  \\\\\  would 
justify  him  in  every  thing.  There  could  be  no  obligation 
in  his  word  or  promise,  for  he  could  change  it  when  he 
pleased.   He  could  say  one  thing  and  do  another,  and  al 


172 

would  be  justified  by  his  will.  But  there  can  be  no  pro- 
mise without  an  obligation;  and  there  can  be  no  obliga- 
tion on  one  who  can  and  will  do  as  he  pleases  in  spite  of 
all  law.  No  one  could  trust  to  his  word;  and  consequently 
he  could  never  be  considered  as  bound  by  his  promise. 
Of  course  his  people  could  have  no  hope,  at  least  no  solid 
ground  of  hope,  and  if  they  built  their  hope  on  God's  word, 
if  he  should  disappoint  them  they  would  no  doubt  suifer 
loss,  but  it  would  be  no  harm  in  God  to  do  so;  for  his  will 
would  always  justify  him  in  whatever  he  would  do.  Con- 
sequently the  holy  bible  must  be  a  thing  of  nought;  no 
dependence  could  possibly  be  put  on  it.  You  cannot  say 
that  God  must  be  true,  for  that  supposes  an  obligation, 
which  is  Hot  admitted  by  the  above  supposition.  If  the 
will  of  God  is  the  only  rule  he  will  be  just  as  holy  and  as 
glorious  in  speaking  a  falsehood  as  the  truth,  in  breaking 
his  promise  as  in  keeping  it.  It  must  be  a  truth  on  this 
hypothesis,  therefore,  that  unfaithfulness  can  be  nothing 
against  the  glory  of  God.  And  the  true  result  of  the  whole 
on  the  above  statement  is  that  God  has  no  glory ;  he  has 
nothing  but  a  will,  and  that  can  have  no  motive  of  moral 
action  without  a  moral  law  to  influence  it;  but  this  is 
denied,  and  consequently  there  cannot  possibly  be  any 
moral  excellence  in  the  Deity. 

But  blessed  be  God  that  the  bible  gives  us  a  very  dif- 
ferent character  of  our  adorable  Creator:  "Justice  and 
"judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne;  mercy  and 
"  truth  go  before  his  face.-'  His  moral  laws  are  excellent 
in  their  nature,  always  requiring  that  which  is  right  and 
forbidding  that  which  is  wrong.  The  nature  of  those  laws 
is  such  that  they  cannot  be  altered  and  never  can  have  an 
end,  while  there  is  a  moral  agent  to  be  governed. 

How  extensive,  how  great,  and  how  glorious  must  the 
moral  law  be  in  the  true  spirit  of  it.  It  has  the  highest 
possible  claim  to  our  obedience,  not  only  from  its  own 
moral  excellence  but  also  from  the  awful  authority  of 


173 

God  our  Creator.  It  must  be  dreadful  to  transgress  those 
laws.  The  sinner  must  be  awfully  guilty  and  justly  ex- 
posed to  divine  vengeance.  His  lieart  must  be  vvrojig, 
wretched  and  unholy;  and  when  once  broken  how  im- 
possible it  is  for  the  sinner  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  jus- 
tice. How  vain  are  the  self-righteous  hopes  of  sinners. 
Every  soul  must  be  forever  undone  who  will  not  fly  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  redemption;  and  happy  is  it  lor 
us  that  we  enjoy  the  gospel,  which  only  can  give  us  well 
grounded  hopes  of  eternal  happiness  through  the  blood  of 
atonement  and  the  sanctif}  ing  grace  of  God. 

The  moral  law  is  enstamped  on  the  heart;  the  consci- 
ence accuses  or  excuses  according  to  the  conduct  of  the 
subject  of  God's  moral  government.  This  law  was  given 
to  Moses  on  mount  Sinai;  and  it  is  established  bv  the 
gospel,  and  is  the  unerring  rule  of  life,  according  to  which 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  believers  are  sanctified  and  brought 
by  divine  grace  to  bear  the  image  of  God,  and  to  live  so- 
berly, righteously  and  godly  in  this  present  world.  This 
law  convinces  of  sin  and  shows  us  the  need  we  have  of  a 
Saviour.  This  law  condemns  the  unbeliever  and  justifies 
according  to  the  gospel  all  those  who  by  faith  are  united 
to  Jesus  Christ,  who  for  his  people  has  satisfied  the  law 
and  made  it  honorable. 

Thanks  be  to  God  for  the  unspeakable  gift  of  his  Son, 


CHAPTER  HI. 

The  nature  of  the  positive  laws  of  God. 

I  MI  c  H  T  observe  that  all  the  laws  which  God  has  given 
to  his  creatures,  except  the  moral  law,  are  positive  laws. 

I  will  first  enumerate  some  of  those  laws  and  then  ex- 
plain the  nature  of  them. 

] .  In  this  enumeration  I  will  only  mention  a  few  of  the 


174 

most  particular  laws  of  this  nature.  That  memorable  law 
forbiddi.ig  Adam  to  eat  of  the  tree  m  the  midst  of  the 
garden  was  of  this  kind.  The  seventh  and  afterwards  the 
first  day  of  the  week  to  be  kept  holy  to  the  Lord,  the 
ritual  of  the  Jewish  worship  and  the  ordinances  of  the 
christian  church,  viz.  circumcision,  the  passover,  the  va- 
rious institutions  of  the  temple,  clean  and  unclean  beasts, 
water  in  baptism,  bread  and  wine  in  the  Lord's  supper, 
&c.  were  all  positive  laws.  These  will  be  sufficient  to 
give  the  reader  a  general  view  of  this  subject.  I  proceed, 

2.  To  explain  the  nature  of  those  laws.  And  we  ob- 
serve the  following  things. 

1.  They  must  always  be  consistent  with  and  never  con- 
tradict the  moral  law.  God  could  not  consistent  with  his 
moral  character  have  commanded  Adam  to  insure  Eve 
his  wife  as  a  condition  of  the  covenant  of  works ;  but  to 
refrain  from  that  tree  or  any  other  tree,  no  doubt,  in  the 
garden  was  a  proper  test;  it  being  no  way  repugnant  to 
morality.  To  offer  bullocks  or  lambs  for  sacrifice  was  not 
morally  wrong;  but  for  a  man  to  offer  his  firstborn  was 
what  God  hated,  because  it  was  a  cruel  violation  of  the 
moral  law.  Although  God  did  tempt  Abraham,  as  a  grand 
trial  of  his  faith,  to  offer  his  son  Isaac,  yet  he  carefully 
prevented  him  from  doing  any  thing  immoral.  It  never 
could  have  been  right  either  for  God  to  give  that  com- 
mand or  for  Abraham  to  obey  it  as  a  test  of  obedience; 
but  as  a  test  of  faith  it  was  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
moral  law,  and  God  could  give  and  Abraham  could  pro- 
ceed in  his  obedience  to  the  command  as  far  as  God 
intended  him  to  go. 

God  had  given  Isaac  by  promise,  and  had  given  his 
promise  to  Abraham  that  in  Isaac  his  seed  should  be 
called,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed 
in  him.  Here  was  a  firm  foundation  for  faith;  and  the  com- 
mand was  a  proper  trial  of  Abraham's  trust  in  the  pro- 
mise. God  did  not  intend  the  death  of  the  child  but  still 


175 


to  fulfil   his  promise;  and  Abraham  relying  on  the  pro- 
mise knew  that  he  could  do  nothing  that  would  l^e  a  dis- 
advantage either  to  himself,  to  Isaac  or  to  the  world,  so 
that  his  laith  was  indeed  tried  but  not  his  obedience; 
there  was  no  disadvantage  or  injury  either  intended  by 
God  or  expected  bv  Abraham,  but  the  very   contrary 
insured  by  promise.  Therefore  the  moral  law  was  not 
broken  by  either  party.  Give  me  as  firm  a  promise  rati- 
fied  and  sealed,  and  as  much  faith  as  Abraham  had,  and 
I  will  not  and  could  not  hesitate  to  do  what  he  did;  but 
if  mv  faith  would  fail  then  obedience  would  be  tried.  I 
think  Paul  (Heb.  11.  17,   18,   19.  Rom.  4.)  and  James 
(chap.  2.  21,  22.)  had  exactly  this  view  of  the  matter. 
I  have  been  a  little  particular  on  this  positive  command 
to  Abraham,  because  it  is  the  only  one  in  all  the  bible  as 
far  as  I  recollect  which  looks  like  immorality. 

2.  Positive  commands  can  be  disannulled  and  of  course 
have  been  and  will  be  always  disannulled  whenever  the 
end  is  answered  for  which  they  have  been  given.  There 
is  a  time  coming  when  even  the  gospel  will  cease  to  be 

preached.  ,  , 

3.  We  are  always  entirely  dependent  on  the  divine 
will' for  positive  commands.  There  are  thousands  of  oc- 
currences not  verbally  revealed  in  the  ten  commandments 
or  even  in  the  bible  at  large,  which  we  easily  discover 
from  moral  principles  laid  down  in  the  word  or  implanted 
in  the  heart  to  be  right  or  wrong.  But  not  one  positive 
precept  can  be  known,  neither  is  it  a  law  until  it  is  re- 
vealed, and  then  no  longer  than  till  it  is  disannulled  by  the 
same  authority  by  which  it  was  enacted. 

4.  Positive  laws  must  not  only  be  consistent  with  and 
not  contrarv  to  the  moral  law,  but  they  must  always  have 
the  fulfdinc'nt  of  the  moral  law  in  view  as  their  ultimate 
end.  The  design  of  the  prohibition  not  to  eat  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit  evidently  was  to  establish  Adam  and  his 
posterity  in  a  perfect  state  of  holiness  and  happiness  Or  to 


176 

punish  them  for  disobedience.  Both  the  seventh  and  first 
day  of  the  week  were  appointed  to  sanctify  the  sabbath  and 
to  call  the  Jews  to  remember  their  deliverance  out  of 
Egypt,  and  us  to  remember  our  blessed  Redeemer  with 
holy  gratitude  and  love.  Thus  you  may  see  that  all  the 
positive  laws  of  God  do  directly  or  indirectly  tend  to  ho- 
liness, to  answer  the  views  and  designs  which  God  has  in 
carrying  on  his  grand  plan  of  moral  government. 

5.  And  lastly.  A  positive  command  or  appointment  ap- 
pears to  be  the  only  proper  test  or  condition  of  a  covenant. 
This  leads  me  in  the  third  place  to  consider  the  nature  of 
the  covenants  which  God  has  been  pleased  to  enter  into 
in  conducting  the  great  affairs  of  his  kingdom. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Covenant  of  Works. 

God  in  his  infinite  condescension  and  goodness  was 
pleased  to  enter  into  covenant  with  Adam  our  first  parent, 
as  a  representative  of  all  his  posterity.  The  history  which 
Moses  gives  of  the  whole  matter  is  indeed  very  short;  and 
he  speaks  of  this  important  transaction  under  the  idea  of 
a  command  or  prohibition.  But  the  command  being  a  po- 
sitive and  not  a  moral  command,  makes  it  put  on  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  covenant.  I'he  whole  attention  of  Adam, 
Eve,  the  serpent,  and  even  God  himself  being  directed  to 
that  single  article,  and  that  not  a  matter  of  any  moment 
otherwise  than  as  a  condition,  seems  necessarily  to  give 
us  the  idea  of  a  covenant.  Such  a  prohibition  would  cer- 
tainly have  been  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  infinitely  wist 
Creator  and  Governor  of  the  world,  but  as  a  condition  of 
a  covenant.  In  Hosea  6.  7.  it  is  expressly  said  "  but  they 
"like  Adam,  have  transgressed  my  covenant;"  the  He- 
brew word  is  Adam  and  ought  to  be  so  read.  But  the 


177 

apostle  Paul  puts  the  matter  beyond  all  doubt,  in  the  5th 
chapter  to  the  Romans,  and  in  the  1 5th  to  the  Corinthians, 
first  epistle,  where  he  runs  a  parallel  betwixt  Adam  and 
Christ,  both  as  public  persons,  representincj  their  re- 
spective seed,  all  whom  Adam  represented  living  in  him, 
and  all  whom  Christ  represented  living  in  him,  as  their 
head  and  representative,  which  could  not  possibly  be  a 
truth,  but  only  by  covenant. 

It  is  consequently  evident  that  God  did  make  a  cove- 
nant with  Adam ;  and  that  in  that  covenant  he  represented 
all  his  posterity. 

According  to  the  nature  of  all  covenants  the  engage- 
ments must  be  mutual  and  voluntary.  It  belonged  to 
God,  as  infinitely  superior  to  Adam,  to  propose  the  terms, 
and  it  behooved  Adam  to  submit  to  infinite  wisdom 
and  goedness,  by  his  consent  to  the  covenant ;  consider- 
ing himself  a  dependent  creature  on  God  his  Creator.  The 
covenant  was  actually  made  and  confirmed  as  we  have 
shown  above;  and  consequentl}-  the  parties  were  agreed, 
and  both  became  under  solemn  engagements  to  each 
other. 

Moses  says  that  the  engagement  on  Adam's  part  \\"a5 
a  mere  negative,  even  not  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  even 
the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  which  stood 
in  the  midst  of  the  garden.  PLasicr  terms  could  never  have 
been  proposed.  It  shows  most  amazing  goodness  in  God 
in  fixing  the  terms  so,  that  to  appearance,  it  almost  made 
the  eternal  happiness  of  the  human  race  a  moral  cer- 
tainty; and  probably  the  time  of  prol3ation  was  very 
short.  No  doubt  Adam  solaced  himself  with  the  happy 
prospect  of  a  complete  establishment  in  liappincss  and 
glory.  The  less  the  difficulty  of  performing  the  condi- 
tions, the  greater  the  sin  of  breaking  them;  the  more  in- 
excusable  and  guilty  must  Adam  be;  and  consequently 
the  more  dreadful  would  be  the  curse  (if  God  in  case  of 
disobedience. 

Z 


178 

Moses  says  nothing  of  the  engagements  on  God's  part 
only  the  penalty  to  be  inflicted  in  case  of  disobedience. 
However  the  nature  of  the  case  shows  plainly  that  there 
must  be  a  promise  of  life,  either  expressed  or  implied. 
Also  we  must  suppose  that  it  must  be  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  render  Adam's  circumstances  better  than  they 
would  otherwise  be;  otherwise  the  covenant  would  only 
have  been  a  snare  and  no  instance  of  divine  goodness. 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that  God  on  his  part  engaged  to 
keep  Adam  in  a  perfect  state  of  holiness,  enabling  him 
by  his  grace  to  continue  in  perfect  obedience  to  the  mo- 
ral law,  and  consequently  to  maintain  him  in  a  state  of 
complete  happiness  in  the  enjoyment  of  God  as  his 
happy  portion,  while  Adam  kept  from  eating  of  that 
tree;  and  in  case  he  would  continue  in  his  obedience  to 
that  only  prohibition,  for  such  a  time,  at  the  expiration 
of  that  term  of  time,  he  would  relieve  him  from  that  pror 
hibition  also;  and  the  covenant  should  be  established 
with  him  and  his  posterity,  insuring  the  blessings  of  holi- 
ness and  happiness  for  ever.  I  beg  my  reader's  serious 
attention  to  the  following  reasons. 

1.  It  cannot  be  proven  that  perfect  obedience  to  the 
moral  law  was  a  condition  of  the  covenant  of  works.  I 
grant  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  Adam  to  be  holy, 
and  for  him  to  continue  perfectly  so;  and  therefore  he 
must  have  kept  the  moral  law  perfectly;  and  perfect 
obedience  is  as  necessary  to  his  happiness  yet,  even  in 
heaven,  as  it  was  in  the  garden  of  Eden;  but  all  this  does 
not  prove  that  it  v/as  a  condition  of  the  covenant  of 
works;  neither  does  it  demonstrate  any  necessity  for 
it  to  be  so.  He  could,  in  a  perfect  consistency  with  mo- 
rality and  free  agency,  have  been  preserved  in  a  state  of 
perfect  rectitude,  by  divine  grace,  according  to  covenant 
engagements  without  meriting  any  thing  by  it,  or  with- 
out its  being  a  condition  of  his  confirmation.  This  very 
thing  might,  if  God  savv'  fit.  be  one  of  the  precious  bless- 


179 

ings  which  God  engaged  to  give  liini  in  this  very  cove- 
nant, upon  the  easy  condition  of  not  eating  of  the  forbid- 
den fruit.  If  God  saw  fit  thus  to  covenant  with  Adam 
there  could  be  no  impropriety  in  it,  and  it  would  have 
been  an  inestimable  favour  to  Adam. 

2.  I  can  see  no  propriety  in  making  both  the  moral 
law  and  the  forbidden  fruit  a  condition;  and  if  it  had  been 
so  it  would  certainly  have  made  the  terms  of  life  much 
harder  than  it  would  otherwise  have  been,  had  the  moral 
law  or  the  forbidden  fruit  been  instituted  alone.  How  could 
we  vindicate  the  goodness  of  God  in  appointing  a  super* 
numerary  restriction  in  addition  to  the  moral  law,  when 
the  law  of  itself  would  have  been  completely  sufficient?  In 
such  a  case  as  this,  a  case  of  such  infinite  importance  to 
Adam  and  his  posterity,  I  cannot  think  it  possible  that 
God  would  enter  into  a  covenant  with  him,  by  enlarging 
the  rules  of  his  duty  beyond  the  limits  of  the  moral  law, 
to  make  it  more  difficult  for  Adam  to  stand  than  it  would 
have  been  had  the  moral  law  been  the  sole  condition.  And 
why  should  we  have  such  thoughts  of  God  when  the 
bible  tells  us  no  such  thing. 

3.  The  forbidden  fruit  might  be  a  test  of  Adam's  obe- 
dience to  God  in  this  one  particular  point  of  obedience; 
but  it  could  be  no  test  of  his  obedience  to  the  moral  law 
if  he  had  to  keep  the  moral  law  likewise  as  a  condition. 
We  are  driven  to  our  shifts  here  to  find  the  use  of  the 
forbidden  fruit;  but  we  can  find  none.  Moses  makes  it 
the  only  condition;  and  when  we  introduce  tlie  moral 
law  also,  we  can  find  no  other  use  for  the  forbidden 
fruit  than  as  a  mere  test  of  Adam's  obedience  to  the  moral 
law.  But  we  have  not  considered  the  absurdity  of  mak- 
ing obedience  to  one  part  of  a  condition,  a  test  of  obe- 
dience to  another.  Although  Adam  could  not  break  this 
precept  without  disobedience  to  God,  which  would  be 
an  indirect  breach  of  the  moral  law;  yet  he  could  break 
the  moral  law  without  eating  the  forbidden  fruit,  if  the 


180 

liioral  law  was  a  condition;  so  that  in  this  case  it  could 
not  be  a  test  of  his  obedience  to  the  moral  la\Y.  But  if 
God  was  pleased  to  engage  to  keep  Adam  in  a  state  of 
purity,  while  he  kept  from  eating  the  forbidden  fruit, 
then  the  forbidden  fruit  or  his  obedience  to  this  one  pro- 
hibition would  be  a  sure  and  positive  test  of  his  confor- 
mity to  the  moral  law ;  for  while  Adam  kept  the  one,  God 
was  engaged  by  promise  to  keep  him  in  the  other. 

4.  If  the  keeping  of  the  moral  law  was  the  condition  of 
the  covenant  of  works,  Moses  was  certainly  very  defi- 
cient as  a  historian  in  not  mentioning  the  most  important 
article  of  that  condition,  and  barely  mentioning  a  circum- 
stance which  was  of  far  less  importance  in  the  covenant 
than  perfect  obedience  to  the  moral  law  would  be. 

5.  Why  did  God  seem  to  scruple  Adam's  word  when 
he  told  him  that  he  knew  he  was  naked.  "  Who  told 
"  thee  (says  he)  that  thou  art  naked?"  as  if  it  was  an  im- 
possible case  to  be  naked  without  he  had  eaten  of  that  tree: 
''  Hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree  whereof  I  commanded  thee 
"  that  thou  shouldst  not  eat?"  This  plainly  implied  that 
by  breaking  that  positive  command  \vas  the  only  possi- 
ble way  in  which  Adam  could  be  stripped  of  righteous- 
ness or  the  favour  and  protection  of  God.  It  is  evident 
that  if  Adam  had  been  found  innocent  of  eating  of 
that  tree,  no  other  accusation  could  have  been  brought 
against  him;  and  consequently  that  was  the  only  condi- 
tion of  the  covenant;  and  that  was  the  only  way  Adam 
could  have  broken  it. 

6.  I  scruple  very  much  whether  it  was  possible  for 
perfect  obedience  to  the  moral  law  to  be  a  condition  of 
that  covenant;  and  certainly  I  would  scruple  the  pro- 
priety of  it  very  much.  That  covenant  was  of  such  a 
mature  that  Adam  was  to  stand,  not  only  for  himself  but 
also  for  his  posterity.  Very  probably  he  was  to  stand  but 
a  short  time  until  he  would  be  confirmed.  The  condition 
Was  of  course  only  to  be  kept  until  the  appointed  time. 


181 

and  his  posterity  not  bound  to  keep  it  at  all ;  for  Adam, 
who  represented  them,  was  accordinj^  to  the  tenor  of  the 
eovenant  to  keep  it  for  them.  Now  who  does  not  see  the 
impropriety  of  the  moral  law  being  tlie  condition  of  that 
covenant'?  The  moral  law  is  eternally  binding-,  and  Adam 
never  could  be  released  from  it.  Also  his  posterity  arc 
every  one  as  firmly  bound  to  keep  it  as  ever  Adam  was ; 
and  how  then  could  he  keep  it  for  them.  But  if  we  admit 
the  account  that  Moses  gives  of  it  to  be  correct,  every 
difficulty  vanishes  in  a  moment.  Adam  could  be  released 
from  the  condition  whenever  God  saw  fit,  and  his  posterity 
properly  represented,  and  all  confirmed  in  a  state  of  per- 
fect holiness  and  happiness  forever,  in  consequence  of 
God's  engagement  on  his  part  of  the  covenant. 

7.  In  all  this  I  do  not  mean  that  the  moral  law  has 
nothing  to  do  in  the  matter.  Nay,  so  far  from  this  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  any  being  to  be  happy  without 
it.  None  could  enjoy  happiness  without  good  rules.  But 
the  whole  business  lies  here:  perfect  happiness  consists 
in  perfect  rectitude ;  and  in  order  that  Adam  and  his  pos- 
terity might  be  happy  they  must  be  holy.  But  the  ques- 
tion is,  how  were  they  to  be  holy  ?  God  created  Adam 
holy  at  first,  but  that  Avas  not  enough  for  futurity;  he 
must  also  continue  so  or  fall  into  misery.  God  must 
either  guarantee  his  holiness  or  he  must  do  it  himself. 
It  would  be  nothing  but  what  would  be  expected,  if 
God  had  left  him  to  act  for  himself;  but  then  he  could 
never  have  been  established.  But  if  God  was  pleased  to 
condescend  to  magnify  the  riches  of  his  grace,  he  could 
in  his  infinite  goodness  and  wisdom  enter  into  a  covenant 
with  Adam,  to  establish  him  in  his  rectitude  and  happi- 
ness. The  bible  says  he  did  so.  But  Adam  was  created 
a  free  agent,  and  must  gi\c  his  consent.  It  was  necessary 
therefore  that  the  covenant  constituted  to  guarantee  to 
Adam  his  eternal  happiness  should  have  such  condition 
or  conditions,  as  would  demonstrate  his  voluntary  choice 


182 

ill  the  matter  as  a  free  moral  agent.  This  could  not  be 
the  moral  law;  for  he  was  under  obligations  before  to  keep 
that,  and  never  could  be  absolved  from  that  obligation; 
and  his  consenting  to  it  could  be  no  testimony  of  his 
agreement  to  the  covenant;  neither  could  the  condition 
ever  be  dissolved;  and  consequently  the  term  of  ihe 
covenant  must  be  lost  for  ever.  Adam  would  have  en- 
joyed no  advantage;  but  with  the  addition  of  the  ]:)rohi- 
bition  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  he  must  have  suffered  a  dis- 
advantage from  the  enlargement  of  his  duty,  which  couid 
be  nothing  but  a  snare  laid  for  his  fall.  Consequently 
there  could  be  no  grace  or  goodness  in  the  covenant  of 
works;  fur  Adam  could  have  done  better  without  it. 

But  if  God  was  pleased  to  preserve  him  in  a  state  of 
holiness,  he  could  engage  by*covenant  to  do  it  without 
infringing  on  Adam's  moral  agency,  provided  he  would 
voluntarily  agree  to  the  covenant;  but  this  was  absolutely 
necessary  before  it  could  be  made;  for  the  consent  of  both 
parties  is  necessary  to  a  covenant.  But  inasmuch  as 
Adam  was  already  bound  by  the  moi*al  law  to  obedience, 
it  would  not  be  a  proper  condition  on  which  to  constitute 
a  covenant,  and  especially  such  a  covenant  as  we  are  now 
speaking  of;  which  guaranteed  to  Adam  a  perfect  confor- 
mity to  that  law.  The  condition  must  be  some  indifferent 
thing  which  would  not  be  in  itself  either  lawful  or  unlaw- 
ful; the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  would  do  as  well 
as  any  thing  else;  and  Moses  says  that  was  the  very  thing. 
Now  while  Adam  refrained  from  that  tree  he  had  nothing 
else  to  fear.  Had  he  broken  any  precept  of  the  moral  law 
before  he  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit  he  certainly  would 
have  died.  For  the  covenant  could  not  nullify  any  thing 
in  the  moral  law.  It  woyld  not  have  been  right  either  for^ 
God  or  Adam  to  make  a  covenant  that  would  operate 
against  the  standing  rule  of  equity,  in  any  thing  whatso- 
ever. But  the  stipulation  was  that  he  should  be  preserved 
in  a  state  of  perfect  rectitude  while  he  continCied  obedient 


183 

to  the  prohibition;  therefore  it*  was  morally  impossible 
for  him  to  break  the  moral  law,  unless  he  eat  the  forbid- 
den fruit.  Thus  by  the  covenant  perfect  obedience  to  the 
moral  law  was  secured  by  the  grace  of  God.  But,  alas  ! 
when  Adam  cat  the  forbidden  fruit  the  covenant  was 
broken,  and  the  criminal  laid  under  the  curse;  he  be- 
came naked,  not  stri])pcd  of  clotiiing  for  he  had  never 
worn  any;  but  exposed  to  the  penalty  of  the  covenant 
which  was  death,  and  was  also  destitute  of  protection  by 
the  grace  of  God,  having  forfeited  his  right  by  breaking 
the  covenant.  In  which  unhappy  case  he  l)ecame  alienated 
in  his  heart;  being  filled  with  terror  he  hated  God  as  the 
worst  of  enemies;  fled  from  his  presence,  and  evidently 
felt  the  awful  consequences  of  sin;  expecting,  no  doubt, 
every  moment  to  experience  the  horrors  of  death  from 
the  vindictive  hand  of  his  Creator.  The  moral  law,  as  it 
were,  returned  on  the  poor  unhappy  culprit  in  its  full 
power;  and  Adam  was  condemned  not  only  for  breaking 
covenant  with  God,  but  also  for  every  transgression  in 
thought,  word  and  deed  which  he  committed  against  the 
divine  dignity  and  authority  of  the  law.  So  that  although 
this  law  was  not,  and  I  think  could  not  be,  a  condition  of 
*the  covenant,  yet  it  is  so  far  from  having  nothing  to  do 
in  the  matter  that  it  remained  in  full  force,  both  before 
and  after  the  fall,  and  does  to  this  day  and  will  to  all 
eternity,  not  as  a  condition  of  a  covenant,  but  as  a  rule 
of  life ;  and  so  it  is,  even  under  the  gospel  dispensation, 
with  its  full  penalty:  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  con- 
"  tinueth  not  in  all  things,  See."  But  the  believer  is  re- 
deemed; not  from  his  duty  or  the  law,  as  a  rule  of 
his  duty,  but  from  the  curse  in  consequence  of  his  fai- 
lure. And  Jesus  Christ  is,  on  the  same  principles,  eiir 
gaged  by  covenant  to  bring  the  believer  to  a  perfect 
conformity  to  the  moral  law,  having  paid  the  penalty 
due  to  the  justice  of  God. 


184 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Covenant  of  Works  farther  considered. 

Adam  fell;  and  all  his  posterity  in  him  their  repre- 
sentative. There  is  no  dispute  here.  But  the  question  is 
how  did  he  fall?  In  answer  to  this  question  I  will  hon- 
estly give  my  opinion.. 

1.  As  to  what  Moses  says,  who  is  the  oldest  historian 
in  the  world.  We  find  that  his  account  of  this  matter  is 
as  follows:  Gen.  2.  8,  9.  "  That  God  planted  a  garden 
''  eastward  in  Eden  and  there  he  put  the  man  whom  he 
"  had  formed."  Adam  was  not  made  in  the  garden,  but 
afterwards  placed  in  it.  "  And  out  of  the  ground  made 
"  the  Lord  God  to  grow  every  tree  that  is  pleasant  to  the 
"  sight  and  good  for  food.  The  tree  of  life  also  in  the 
"  midst  of  the  garden,  even  the  tree  of  knowledge  of 
"  good  and  evil,  &c."  This  is  a  very  beautiful  descrip- 
tion of  the  garden.  A  certain  tree  in  it  is  noted  by  its 
situation  being  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  so  located  ac- 
cording to  the  beautiful  arrangement,  no  doubt,  of  those 
trees  as  to  bQ  conspicuous,  occupying  the  middle  sta- 
tion; and  no  doubt  was  a  remarkable  tree,  good  for  food, 
and  pleasant  to  the  eye,  (chap.  3.  6.) 

This  tree  was  called  the  tree  of  life,  and  also  the  tree 
of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 

"  The  Lord  God  (verses  15,  16,  17.)  took  the  man  and 
"  put  him  into  the  garden  of  Eden  to  dress  it  and  to  keep 
*'  it.  And  the  Lord  God  commanded  the  man,  saying, 
*'  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat,  but 
*'  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  thou 
*'  shalt  not  eat  of  it,  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  there- 
"  of  thou  shalt  surely  d^."  Hosea  expressly  calls  Adam's 


185 

breaking  this  command,  breaking  God's  covenant.  St. 
Paul  evidently  points  out  Adam  here  as  a  covenant  head 
representing  all  his  posterity,  as  1  have  already  shown. 
Moses  here  very  particularly  and  concisely  relates  the 
condition  of  the  covenant,  consisting  in  a  positive  com- 
mand or  prohibition. 

We  would  try  in  vain  to  show  that  there  was  any  thing 
naturally  evil,  poisonous  or  mortal  in  this  tree.  1  he  lo- 
cal situation  of  it  precluded  all  danger  of  mistake  as  to 
the  identical  tree  forbidden.  The  two  names  given  to  it 
are  very  significant ;  evidently  showing  it  to  be  the  arti- 
cle pitched  upon  by  divine  sovereignty,  and  the  tree  cha- 
racterized, only  in  consequence  of  the  prohibition,  as  the 
terms  of  the  covenant  on  Adam's  part. 

It  was  also  called  the  tree  of  life,  because  according  to 
the  covenant  engagement  it  was  an  infallible  test  of  life 
to  Adam,  as  long  as  he  refrained  from  eating  of  the  fruit 
of  it;  which  undeniably  proves  that  it  was  the  only  con- 
dition  of  the  covenant;'  for  if  any  other  thing  was  a  con- 
dition either  in  whole  or  in  part,  he  might  have  died  by 
that  other  thing,  without  eating  of  this  tree;  and  conse- 
quently it  could  not  be  a  tree  of  life  or  a  test  of  life. 
Adam  could  have  worshipped  Eve;  he  could  have  wor- 
shipped the  Sun  or  anything  else;  he  could  have  cursed, 
profaned  the  name  of  God;  he  could  have  worked  on 
the  sabbath  day;  in  short  he  could  have  broken  any  pre- 
cept of  the  moral  law,  as  far  as  his  circumstances  would 
admit,  if  the  moral  law  was  a  condition;  and  had  he  done 
so  he  must  have  died;  and  had  he  died  for  a  breach  of  any 
part  of  the  moral  law,  he  must  have  died  without  eating 
the  forbidden  fruit;  then  this  tree  could  not  be  a  tree  or 
test  of  life  to  Adam,  and  Moses  named  it  wrong. 

Not  only  so  but  the  name  of  this  tree  shows  that  Adam 
could  not  break  the  moral  law;  not  that  he  was  naturally 
unable  to  do  it,  but  that  the  covenant  on  God's  part 
insured  life  to  Adam,  which  he  could  not  do  without 

2  A 


186 

msuiing  holiness  to  him;  for  God  cannot  do  impossibih- 
ties,  neither  will  he,  or,  morally  speaking,  can  he  do 
any  thing  wrong.  If  God  did  insure  life  to  Adam  on  the 
condition  of  his  not  eating  the  forbidden  fruit,  which  he 
certainly  did,  then  he  either  insured  holiness  or  he  must 
have  insured  life  if  Adam  refrained  from  that  tree,  let  him 
be  holy  or  not,  which  would  have  been  a  very  absurd  thing- 
God  never  could  insure  life  without  holiness;  but  he  did 
insure  life  on  condition  that  Adam  would  not  eat  of  the 
forbidden  fruit,  which  was  not  a  precept  of  the  moral  law, 
therefore  he  insured  his  conformity  to  the  moral  law;  the 
tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  was  a  test  of  that  life, 
while  ever  it  was  untouched,  and  was  of  course  properly 
called  the  tree  of  life;  of  which  more  by  and  by. 

Jesus  Christ  is  three  times  in  the  book  of  Revelation 
called  the  tree  of  life,  in  a  direct  allusion  to  this  very  tree. 
Rev.  2.  7.  "  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of 
"  the  tree  of  life  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of 
*'  God."  Here  is  an  evident  allusion  to  Eden,  the  para- 
dise of  God ;  to  the  tree  in  the  midst  of  it,  the  privilege 
to  eat  of  it,  provided  the  terms  were  complied  with. 
What  a  striking  allusion  is  here  to  this  peculiar  circum- 
stance, (viz.)  if  Adam  had  refrained  from  that  tree  until 
the  time  specified  in  the  covenant  was  fulfilled,  then  the 
prohibition  would  have  expired,  and  he  would  have  had 
a  right  to  cat  of  that  tree;  and  his  having  a  right  to  eat  of 
that  tree  would  unquestionably  have  been  an  inestimable 
blessing;  for  in  that  case  it  would  have  been  a  test  of  his 
having  done  what  the  covenant  had  required  of  him,  and 
consequently  a  test  of  his  establishment  in  holiness  and 
happiness  for  ever.  So  here  the  gospel  offers  us  Christ, 
with  all  his  benefits  insured,  on  the  footing  of  the  cove- 
nant of  grace;  the  terms  are  to  believe  on  him.  If  we 
will  not  comply  with  the  terms  we  are  not  interested  in 
the  covenant,  and  have  no  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  to  the 
rest,  the  surety  in  the  covenant  of  grace;  but.if  we  over- 


187 

come  all  dithcuitics,  pcrsccuiion,  distress,  sell-righteous- 
ncss,  pride  and  enmity  against  the  gospel,  and  yield  our- 
selves to  Jesus  as  our  only  righteousness  and  strength, 
then  we  shall  enjoy  a  privilege  superior  to  what  Adam 
forfeited:  even  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  whieh  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  paradise  of  God;  to  enjoy  Christ  as  the 
pledge  and  surety  of  all  the  blessings  of  the  covenant, 
well  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure;  he  having  made 
atonement  for  the  breach  of  the  covenant  of  w  orks,  and 
insured  eternal  life  to  every  believer. 

In  Rev.  22.  2.  we  have  another  instance  of  Christ's 
being  called  the  tree  of  life,  alluding  to  this  same  tree. 
"  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of  it  and  on  either  side  of  the 
*'  river  was  there  the  tree  of  life  which  bare  twelve  man- 
*'  ner  of  fruits,  yielding  her  fruit  every  month,  and  the 
"  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations." 
Here  is  certainly  an  allusion  to  the  garden  of  Eden  and 
to  the  tree  of  life  in  the  midst  of  it.  Historians  and  com- 
mentators have  had  many  conjectures  as  to  where  the 
garden  of  Eden  stood.  But  to  compare  this  text  with  the 
account  which  Moses  gives,  I  think  will  give  us  some 
correct  ideas  on  the  subject. 

The  fig  tree  is  evidently  the  tree  alluded  to  in  this  text. 
The  fig  trees  in  the  eastern  countries  grow  very  large;  it 
is  said  that  fifty  horsemen  can  shelter  under  one  of  them; 
the  leaf  is  very  large,  and  both  the  branches  and  leaves 
set  in  good  order,  well  calculated  for  beaut}',  and  to 
shelter  from  sun  and  rain.  The  leaves  of  this  tree,  for 
the  healing  of  the  nations,  beautifully  represent  to  us  the 
kind  protection  of  Christ  from  afflictions,  distress  and 
temptations,  and  particularly  the  validity  of  his  atone- 
ment to  screen  us  from  the  wrath  of  God,  and  to  heal 
the  breach  of  the  first  covenant,  and  to  entitle  us  to  the 
precious  fruit  of  that  tree,  the  gifts  of  the  divine  Spirit 
completely  to  heal  our  spiritual  maladies,  and  restore  the 
moral  image  of  God  to  our  souls.  Tiie  v\fird  twelve  is  :i 


188 

certain,  for  an  unlimited  number,  meaning  a  sufficiency 
for  the  whole  church,  which  used  to  consist  of  twelve 
tribes,  and  now  built  upon  the  twelve  apostles.  This  tree 
yielding  its  fruit  every  month  means  the  full  and  con- 
stant supplies  of  grace  which  believers  receive  from 
Christ,  in  all  times  and  seasons  from  one  end  of  the  year 
to  the  other.  One  kind  of  the  fig  tree  is  ever  green,  es- 
pecially in  those  warm  climates;  and  it  has  fruit  on  it 
always  green  and  ripe,  without  any  order,  except  that 
one  month  matures  the  fruit.  Now  from  this  text  I  con- 
clude that  the  forbidden  tree  was  a  fig  tree;  and  I  flatter 
myself  that  it  is  not  a  vague  conclusion.  Christ  is  evi- 
dently spoken  of  in  this  text  as  the  tree  of  life  standing 
in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  or  paradise;  and  he  is  also 
evidently  described  as  a  fig  tree.  Adam's  sewing  fig 
leaves  together  to  cover  himself  with,  is  a  corroborating 
circumstance;  and  no  doubt  he  took  those  leaves  off"  that 
very  tree,  hoping  that  the  leaves  of  the  same  tree,  the 
fruit  of  which  had  brought  the  curse  upon  him  would 
shelter  him  from  that  curse.  But,  alas !  he  had  forfeited 
his  right  to  that  tree  as  a  tree  of  life;  and  without  shed- 
ding of  blood  there  was  no  remission.  But  the  leaf  of  the 
blessed  fig  tree  that  stands  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of 
God  will  certainly  screen  us  from  wrath. 

But  as  to  where  the  tree  of  life  stood  I  must  remark, 
however  out  of  place  it  may  be,  that  the  first  part  of  the 
text  now  under  consideration,  is  in  my  opinion  very  un- 
happily translated:  "  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of  it,  and 
"  on  either  side  of  the  river  was  the  tree  of  life."  I  have 
seen  streets  in  towns  and  cities,  and  I  have  seen  islands  in 
rivers;  but  no  person  ever  saw  a  street  in  the  middle  of  a 
river.  I  have  seen  a  tree  on  one  side  of  a  river,  and  ano- 
ther tree  on  the  other  side,  and  I  have  seen  a  third  tree 
on  an  island  in  the  middle  at  the  same  time ;  but  no  per- 
son  ever  saw  one  tree  standing  in  the  three  places  at 
once ;  the  truth  is  there  is  no  idea  can  possibly  be  four\4 


189 

in  the  sentence.  But  the  Greek  is  not  difficult.    Ev  fxi<ru 

The  tree  of  life  was  (or  rather,  he  showed  me  the  tree  of 
life  i^ii^i  verse  1.)  in  the  midst  of  a  certain  flat  of  ground, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  river  running  on  each  side  of  said 
flat.  The  idea  is  plainly  this:  he  showed  me  the  tree  of 
life  as  it  stood  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  standing  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  beautiful,  rich  level  piece  of  ground,  cither  an 
island  or  in  the  fork  of  the  river,  which  running  on  each 
side  watered  the  garden  and  made  it  very  fruitful:  so 
that  the  tree  bore  a  great  variety  and  plenty  of  fruit,  and 
beautiful  and  profitable  foliage,  all  tending  to  recover  lost 
sinners  from  the  awful  consequences  of  the  fall. 

When  I  compare  this  description  with  the  account  of 
Moses,  I  find  that  the  garden  was  not  situated  in  an  island, 
but  in  one  of  the  forks  of  the  river.  A  great  river  (said 
by  historians  to  be  by  the  confluence  of  the  river  Euphra- 
tes and  Tigris)  went  out  of  (the  upper  parts  of  the  country 
of)  Eden  to  water  the  garden  (the  garden  must  be  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  country  and  not  very  far  from  the  mouths 
of  the  river  at  the  place)  where  the  river  parted  and  be- 
came four  streams  called  Pison,  Gihon,  Hiddekel  and 
Euphrates,  a  very  rich,  level  and  beautiful  country.  And 
according  to  the  allusion  by  St.  John  the  river  must  run 
on  each  side  of  the  flat  of  land,  midst  of  which  the  tree  oi 
life  stood;  so  that  the  garden  must  be  in  the  fork  betwixt 
some  two  of  those  branches,  and  most  likely  betwixt  the 
Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  as  Moses  mentions  them  last 
although  they  were  the  two  middle  branches;  they  being 
the  largest  and  retaining  their  names  from  the  head  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river. 

By  attending  to  these  passages  accurately  we  have, 
perhaps,  found  the  very  spot  where  the  guilt  of  the  hu- 
man race  originated,  and  the  very  kind  of  fruit  which 
poisoned  the  posterity  of  Adam. 


190 

Once  more:  Rev.  22.  14.  "Blessed  are  they  who  do 
-'  his  commandments  that  they  may  have  right  (or  honour. 
"  privilege  or  advantage  of,  in,  or)  to  the  tree  of  life,  and 
"  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city."  The 
bible,  the  account  of  mankind  and  of  the  great  represen- 
tatives of  the  human  race,  begins  and  ends  with  the  tree 
of  life.  "  That  do  his  commandments."  Adam  had  to  do 
his  commandments.  He  had  to  fulfil  the  condition  of  the 
covenant  of  works  before  he  could  have  a  right  to  eat  of 
the  tree  of  life,  which  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  garden. 
So  we  have  to  fulfil  the  condition  on  which  the  grace  of 
the  gospel  is  offered  to  us,  according  to  the  plan  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  which  is  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  before  we  can  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life 
^vhich  stands  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God.  But 
Adam  did  not  fulfil  the  conditions  of  the  first  covenant, 
therefore  God  drove  him  out  of  the  garden,  and  placed 
cherubims  and  a  flaming  sword;  setting  a  guard  of 
angels  with,  no  doubt,  a  visible  representation  of  some 
instrument  of  vengeance,  well  expressed  by  a  flaming 
sword  at  the  east  side  of  the  garden,  to  deter  Adam's  ap- 
proach to  the  tree  of  life.  I  will  explain  this  more  parti- 
ticularly  by  and  by.  If  therefore,  we  comply  with  the 
terms  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  which  is  to  believe  on 
Christ,  we  shall  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  we 
shall  enter  through  the  gates  into  the  city  or  garden. 
Clothed  with  the  righteousness  of  Jesus  by  faith,  ac- 
cording to  the  plan  of  the  new  covenant,  the  cherubims 
with  the  flaming  sword  will  give  way,  and  we  shall  take 
of  the  tree  of  life  and  live  for  ever;  for  Jesus  will  be  our 
pledge  and  surety  of  our  eternal  salvation  (Rom.  5.  8,  9, 
10.  and  8.  32.)  Let  us  take  care  that  we  do  not  give 
those  most  important  passages  of  scripture  a  legal  turn, 
which  to  my  own  knowledge  is  shamefully  done  both  by 
ministers  and  people.  If  we  say  that  to  overcome  means 
to  fulfil  the  moral  law,  in  order  to  be  blessed  and  to  eat 


191 

of  the  tree  ol'  life  or  enjoy  the  benefits  of  Christ;  aj^ain. 
if  we  say  that  to  do  liis  commandments  means  to  keep 
the  moral  law  or  to  try  sineerely  to  do  it,  that  we  may 
have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  to  enter  throiii^h  the 
gates  into  the  eity,  we  demonstrate  our  shameful  igno- 
ranee  of  the  gospel  plan;  and  although  we  may  tell  a  thou- 
sand truths,  yet  the  drift  of  our  discourse  flatly  contra- 
diets  the  bible;  and  our  hearers  must  be  drawn  off  from 
sueh  doctrine,  or  the  moral  law  will  condemn  them  :is 
sure  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  consideration  of  the  Covenant  of  Works  continued. 

The  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  had  also  another 
name  signifying  the  design  or  use  of  it  as  a  trial 
of  Adam's  obedience.  It  was  called  the  tree  of  know- 
ledge of  good  and  evil.  Good  and  evil  arc  words  verv 
expressive.  Goodwill  mean  both  happiness  and  holiness. 
Evil  is  just  the  contrary,  sin  and  misery.  Adam  was  in 
a  good  state  while  he  continued  innocent  and  happy;  but 
he  was  in  a  bad  state  when  he  became  guilty  and  misera- 
ble; and  this  tree  God  appointed  as  the  only  criterion  by 
which  the  good  or  evil  state  of  Adam  should  be  deter- 
mined; so  it  was  emphatically  the  tree  of  the  knowledge 
of  good  and  evil. 

Here  we  may  notice  three  things.  It  was  appointed 
by  God  to  be  the  only  test  of  Adam's  state.  It  Mas  the 
very  thing  by  which  he  fell  from  a  good  state  to  a  bad 
one;  and  the  very  thing  that  God  appealed  unto  to 
iudge  and  to  determine  whether  his  state  was  good  or 
evil;  and  by  which  he  was  condemned.  Now  if  I  am 
asked,  did  not  Adam  break  the  moral  law  when  he  eat 
'lu'  forbidden  fruit-!'  T  :)nswcr.  I  care  nnt  whether  he  did 


192 

or  did  not,  as  to  the  point  in  hand.  It  was  enough  to  break 
the  covenant,  for  him  to  break  the  positive  precept;  and 
had  he  broken  every  precept  of  the  ten  in  the  moral 
law,  as  some  divines  very  curiously  demonstrate,  it  would 
not  make  the  breach  of  the  covenant  any  worse.  1  do  not 
deny  but  he  indirectly  broke  the  moral  law  by  his  dis- 
obedience to  a  positive  precept;  and  we  are  certain  that 
he  became  alienated  from  God  immediately;  but  all  this 
is  nothing  to  the  point  in  hand.  Adam  stood  in  the  moral 
law,  but  not  by  the  moral  law;  when  he  fell,  he  fell  from 
the  moral  law,  but  not  by  the  moral  law;  when  he  was 
judged,  he  was  not  judged  by  the  moral  law.  It  was  the 
tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  that  did  the  whole.  The 
moral  law  had  its  force  on  Adam  undoubtedly  in  both 
states,  as  an  individual  but  not  as  a  covenant  head.  In 
eating  the  forbidden  fruit  he  became  federally  guilty;  and 
that  was  the  only  guilt  that  was  imputed  to  his  posterity. 
In  breaking  the  moral  law  he  became  only  personally 
guilty  as  an  individual;  but  that  guilt  was  not  imputed  to 
his  posterity.  So  the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  was 
the  only  thing  that  was  the  test,  and  was  properly  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil;  and  consequently  the  only 
condition  of  the  covenant. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  5th  chapter  of  Paul's  epistle 
to  the  Romans.  Here  I  will  only  notice  two  things;  first, 
what  we  have  already  observed,  that  it  is  clearly  proven 
that  God  did  make  a  formal  covenant  with  Adam;  which 
appears  from  the  parallel  run  betwixt  him  and  Christ, 
both  as  the  head  of  those  whom  they  represented  in  a 
covenant,  and  those  whom  Adam  represented  becoming 
guilty  through  him,  &C. 

2dly.  I  will  just  notice  that  in  the  whole  account  of 
Adam  and  Christ,  the  apostle  seems  to  point  to  the  cir- 
cumstances related  by  Moses  in  Adam's  fall,  and  I  think 
clearly  intimates  that  the  condition  of  both  covenants 
were  positive  precepts  and  not  the  moral  law. 


193 

111  t]ic  19th  verse  he  uses  the  Mord  Ttrx^uycoy^?  which 
every  Grecian  knows  comes  from  a  root,  which  signifies 
to  hear,  which  implies  disobedience  to  a  positive  precept, 
which  depends  upon  the  will  of  the  lawgiver  pronounced 
in  the  ear,  and  not  written  on  the  heart.  And  it  is  wor- 
thy of  notice  that  God  brings  as  a  partial  charge  against 
Adam,  "  because  thou  hast  hearkened  to  the  voice  of 
"  thy  wife"  and  not  to  my  voice.  Also  the  apostle 
frequently  uses  the  words  ttol^attIu)^*  and  7r«^a7r»7r7a> 
which  signify  a  fall,  or  to  fall  from  a  good  to  a  bad 
state;  which  Moses  expressly  says  was  by  eating  the  for- 
bidden fruit.  He  also  says  that  the  law  entered  that  the 
offence  might  abound,  plainly  intimating  that  the  moral 
law  had  no  part  in  the  transaction,  until  the  offence  was 
given  or  the  covenant  broken;  and  then  every  transgres- 
sion was  individually,  not  by  imputation  from  Adam,  an 
accumulation  of  the  guilt  both  of  himself  and  all  his 
posterity. 

Having  explained  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of  works 
and  pointed  out  the  proper  condition  of  it,  we  proceed  to 
answer  the  question,  How  did  Adam  fall?  I  answer,  sim- 
ply by  eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  Gen.  3.  6,  17.  But  let 
us  inquire  more  particularly  into  this  very  important 
transaction. 

The  scripture  says  that  God  made  Adam  after  his  own 
image;  which  image  was  not  only  his  natural  but  also  his 
moral  image;  but  when  we  speak  of  God's  making  Adam 
in  his  moral  image,  we  must  not  mean  that  God  by  an 
act  of  his  creating  power  infused  holiness  into  Adam; 
but  after  he  made  him  he  immediately  conducted  so  to- 
wards him  as  to  cause,  by  a  moral  necessity,  Adam  to  be 
holy. 

It  is  an  old  theological  maxim  that  God  created  Adam 
holy;  but  that  maxim  never  was  true  but  on  the  above 
explanation.  The  want  of  proper  conceptions  on  this  very 
point  causes  us  to  have  confused  and  contradictory  no- 

2B 


194 

tions  about  God's  being  the  author  of  sin,  Adam's  fall, 
the  conve3^ance  of  original  depravity,  regeneration,  Sec. 
And  I  am  persuaded  that  if  we  had  correct  views  of  this 
one  thing,  the  bible  would  make  the  rest  comparatively 
easy.  Here  again  I  beg  leave  to  use  the'  words  cannot^ 
impossible,  fee.  applied  to  God.  And  I  know  that  thou- 
sands in  the  world  would  think  it  blasphemy  to  say  that 
God  cannot  do  any  thing  and  every  thing,  right  or 
wrong,  possible  or  impossible;  which,  by  the  by,  is  a 
low,  groveling  and  a  very  absurd  notion  of  the  Deity. 
But  to  proceed. 

God  could  not  make  Adam  or  any  intelligent  creature 
either  holy  or  unholy.  It  would  be  naturally  impossible 
for  God  to  make  any  thing  holy;  because  holiness  cannot 
be  created  or  even  caused  to  be,  by  an  exertion  of  natu- 
ral power  or  strength;  and  for  the  same  reason  he  could 
not  create  any  thing  unholy,  with  this  additional  reason,  it 
would  be  wrong  for  him  to  create  a  sinner  if. he  could  do 
it.  If  God  created  Adam  holy,  there  could  be  no  moral 
excellence  in  that  holiness;  for  Adam  could  not  have  any 
act  or  choice  in  it.  And  of  course  it  could  be  nothing 
but  a  mere  natural  capacity,  and  neither  virtuous  nor 
vicious. 

That  I  may  make  this  plain,  even  to  common  capaci- 
ties, I  will  observe  that  there  can  be  no  holiness  or  un- 
holiness  in  any  being  whatever,  except  he  has  it  by  his 
own  choice.  God  could  by  his  power  and  did  create 
Adam's  body;  and  he  also  by  an  act  of  the  same  power 
breathed  life  into  him;  and  he  became  a  living  soul.  But 
there  was  more  than  all  this  to  do  before  he  became  a 
holy  soul.  Adam  as  he  came  out  of  the  hand  of  God  was 
possessed  of  natural  powers,  and  no  doubt  in  a  very  high 
degree.  He  had  all  necessary  powers  of  body  and  the 
necessary  faculties  of  mind;  but  all  this  was  not  holiness, 
neither  was  it  wickedness.  This  soul  must  act,  and  it 
must  act  freely  too,  before  he  could  he  ekher  holy  or 


195 

wicked.  This  act  must  not  be  done  for  him,  nor  yet  by 
accident  by  him;  but  it  must  be  his  own  free  choice. 
Holiness  is  the  disposition  of  the  heart  towards  that  which 
is  morally  good  or  right;  unholiness  is  a  contrary  disposi- 
tion. No' being  can  be  holy  without  this  disposition;  and 
no  action  can  be  a  holy  action  without  it.  This  disposi- 
tion is  the  same  as  the  will  or  choice.  God  can  and  does 
give  the  natural  capacity  in  the  soul  to  choose;  but  it  is 
naturally  impossible  for  even  God  himself  to  give  the 
choice  any  other  way  than  through  the  understanding  by 
motives;  because  the  choice  must  be  free;  and  as  holiness 
is  in  the  choice,  therefore  God  could  not  give  it  by  crea- 
tion; nor  yet  by  infusion  or  any  other  way  than  by  argu- 
ments addressed  to  Adam's  understanding.   Hence  it  is 
evident  that  in  strict  propriety  it  is  not  true  that  God 
created  Adam  holy;  for  it  was  in  the  nature  of  things  im- 
possible to  be  done.    But  I   acknowledge   that   Moses 
says,  "God  created  man  in  his  own  image;"  and  that 
Solomon  says,  "God  created  man  upright;"  but  these 
scriptures  do  not  mean  natural  impossibilities.   Also  it  is 
proper  for  us  to  say  even  that  God  made  Adam  holy;  for 
it  must  be  granted  we  have  scripture  warrant  for  the  ex- 
pression; but  we  should  take  care" not  to  mean  impossi- 
bilities when  we  say  so.  The  true  state  of  the  case  was 
this,  God  created  Adam  with  every  power  and  capacity, 
both  of  soul  and  body,  to  act  as  a  rational  creature;  and 
did  not  leave  him  without  any  knowledge  of  his  duty,  but 
addressed  his  understanding  with  a  suitable  re^'elation  of 
himself  and  of  his  will  immediately;  by  which  Adam's 
choice  was  by  proper  motives  immediately  determined 
and  fixed  on  the  proper  object;  and  Adam  consequently 
became  holy.  Thus  God  enstamped  his  moral  image  upon 
him.  This  is  what  the  bible  means,  and  this  is  what  we 
ought  to  mean  when  we  say  God  made  Adam  holy. 


196  • 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Adaiii's  Fall. 

We  have  seen  that  in  order  to  holiness  the  will  must 
be  influenced  to  choose  and  delight  in  proper  objects,  by 
motives  addressed  through  the  medium  of  the  understand- 
ing. Holiness  depends  on  motives.  The  motives  calculated 
to  produce  true  holiness  must  always  be  truth  or  true 
doctrine.  False  doctrine  always  leads  to  sin,  because  it 
gives  a  wrong  bias  or  inclination  to  the  mind;  true  doc- 
trine always  produces  holiness;  but  you  must  remember 
that  this  is  only  true  when  our  sentiments  reach  our  hearts; 
for  then,  and  then  only,  our  doctrine  or  sentiments  affect 
our  determination  or  choice.  We  never  will  be  perfect  in 
holiness  while  we  are  but  partially  right  in  our  views  and 
ideas.  We  can  only  be  perfect  in  holiness  when  we  come 
to  know,  even  as  we  are  known,  and  to  see  Jesus  as  he  is. 
But  while  we  only  see  through  a  glass  darkly,  our  holi- 
ness will  be  shaded  with  imperfection.  2  Cor.  4.  4.  and 
3.  18. 

Every  good  philosopher  must  see  that  holiness  could 
not  be  maintained  in  the  soul,  but  only  by  the  same  mo- 
tives by  which  it  was  first  begotten  there;  kept  in  view  to 
influence  the  mind,  and  keep  it  still  inclined  to  the  proper 
object;  for  the  mind  will  invariably  act  according  to  mo- 
tives in  view. 

Hence  these  three  things  are  evident.  1.  That  no  crea- 
ture, let  him  be  ever  so  perfect,  can  possibly  be  of  himself 
unchangeably  holy;  for  his  holiness  must  for  ever  depend 
on  his  motives  of  action,  brought  home  to  the  heart,  which 
might,  for  ought  wc  know,  be  interrupted  by  a  thousand 
incidents  which  we  can  have  no  conceptions  of.  I  think 
this  is  abundantly  demonstrated  by  the  trial  .of  the  fallen 


197 

angels;  and  of  Adam  who  certainly  had  every  opportunity 
a  creature  could  expect  or  desire. 

2.  That  it  is  by  covenant  engagements  that  the  happi- 
ness of  any  creature  can  be  established,  even  in  heaven; 
so  that  it  is  Ijy  promise  the  christian  stands,  and  will,  and 
can  stiuid  for  ever.  The  elect  angels,  no  doubt,  are  on  the 
same  footing,  by  some  kind  of  a  covenant  by  which  they 
are  established  in  glorv. 

3.  It  must  be  an  unspeakable  happiness  for  a  creature, 
and  infinite  goodness  in  God,  to  enter  into  a  special  cove- 
nant, so  that  God  the  great  Creator  should  engage  in  his 
unchangeable  faithfulness  to  maintain  and  establish  his 
dependent  creature  in  holiness  and  happiness  for  ever.  But 
God  must  not  infringe  upon  the  freedom  of  the  will  of  his 
creature,  whom  he  has  made  a  free  agent;  he  must  have  a 
signature  of  his  hearty  consent  to  such  honourable  propo- 
sals. What  could  exceed  the  beauty  or  the  goodness  in 
the  test  appointed  to  Adam.  "  Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  the 
"  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden."  Only  do  this  and  I  am 
your  God  and  portion  for  ever. 

Now  my  reader  asks  me  the  third  time:  How  did  Adam 
fall?  I  have  been  preparing  all  this  time  to  answer  this 
question  to  your  satisfaction;  and  now  1  hope  I  am  fully 
able  to  do  it. 

Satan  the  grand  enemy  of  God,  full  of  subtlety  and  art, 
entering  into  the  serpent,  took  the  advantage  of  Eve  when 
she  was  alone,  and  tempted  her  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  tree. 
!He  knew  it  was  in  vain  to  tempt  her  in  any  thing  else; 
neither  was  he  permitted  to  do  it;  because  in  every  thing 
else  she  was  secured  by  the  covenant  as  I  have  already 
shown:  but  here  the  way  was  open,  for  in  this  Adam  was 
left  to  himself.  He  brings  on  the  attack  with  great  art  and 
address.  He  introduces  a  familiar  chat  on  a  darling  sub- 
ject. Nothing  could  possibly  have  been  more  entertaining 
to  our  first  parents  than  the  covenant  of  works,  which  was 
such  an  astonishing  display  of  divine  goodness.  He  pre 


198 

tends  to  inquire  as  if  he  wished  to  know  the  particulars .- 
Eve  eagerly  replies,  expatiates  on  the  subject,  tells  him 
the  spot  where  the  tree  stood,  and  adds  a  clause  to  the 
prohibition,  which  she  perhaps  interpolated  from  Adam's 
charges  to  her.  *'  Neither  shall  ye  touch  it  lest  ye  die." 
Satan  having  got  such  easy  access,  improves  his  oppor- 
tunity, puts  on  the  appearance  of  a  solicitous  friend  wish- 
ing to  advance  her  happiness,  and  turns  expositor  on  the 
spot.  As  if  Eve  was  entirely  mistaken  in  the  sense  of  the 
passage,  he  says  "  ye  shall  not  die,  surely,  for  God  doth 
"know  that  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall 
"  be  opened."  Here  is,  indeed,  false  doctrine,  a  pointed  lie, 
calculated  to  lead  to  sin.  The  first  sentence  is  calculated 
to  put  her  off  her  guard,  by  removing  her  fear  of  the 
penalty.  "  Ye  shall  not  surely  die."  The  next  is  a  flatter- 
ing bait  for  wisdom.  "  Your  eyes  shall  be  opened."  You 
will  be  wise,  have  a  great  increase  in  knowledge.  And  he 
insinuates  that  God  knew  it;  this  was  as  far  as  he  could 
venture  by  way  of  positive  proof;  but  to  strengthen  the 
assertion  and  to  impress  the  mind  of  Eve  with  the  idea 
that  what  he  said  was  agreeable  to  the  word  of  God;  he 
gives  a  false  construction  to  the  name  which  God  gave  to 
the  tree,  insinuating  that  instead  of  God's  appointing  it  as 
a  test  or  criterion,  by  which  they  should  be  judged  either 
to  happiness  or  misery,  it  should  make  them  as  gods  to 
know  every  thing,  good  and  bad.*  The  whole  was  false. 

*  This  together  with  his  temptation  on  the  mount  is  truly  a  mas- 
terpiece of  subtlety,  art  and  falsehood.  I  apprehend  his  construction 
of  the  name  which  God  had  given  to  the  tree,  crowned  the  whole 
business.  Eve  knew  that  to  be  a  "  thus  saith  the  Lord."  God  did  not 
intend  what  Satan  said,  but  by  his  art  he  made  Eve  think  so.  But  it 
seems  no  wonder  Eve  was  deceived  by  this  interpretation;  it  stands 
as  a  good  one  to  this  very  day,  and  has  deceived  numbers  for  nearly 
six  thousand  years.  I  confess  I  feel  ashamed  when  I  recollect  how 
often  I  have  explained  the  name  which  God  gave  this  tree,  the  very 
way  the  devil  did,  although  I  knew  he  was  a  liar,  and  had  nothing; 
but  the  devil's  explanation  to  prove  mine. 


Satan  always  expounded  tlic  scriptures  wrong;  which  he 
quoted.  He  tried  the  same  scheme  with  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour with  amazing  dexterity  and  art;  but  Jesus  under- 
stood the  scriptures  better  than  he  did,  and  quoted  a  text 
against  every  temptation;  by  which  texts  he  reguluted  his 
conduct  in  the  midst  of  his  trial  and  completely  baffled  the 
wiles  of  Satan.   Had  Eve  done  so  she  would  have  won  the 
day.  But  listening  to  the  false  doctrine  of  Satan  she  was  un- 
happily deceived.  Viewing  every  thing  under  a  false  gloss 
she  conceived  that  the  tree  was  good  for  food;  she  could 
not  believe  that  death  would  be  the  consequence  of  eating 
it.  The  fruit  to  appearance  was  ver}'  pleasant,  and  she 
expected  to  become  very  wise.  Alas!  alas!  "  she  took  of 
"  the  fruit  and  did  eat." 

According  to  the  account  of  Moses,  Eve  immediately 
proposed  the  forbidden  fruit  to  Adam,  brought  it,  and  of- 
fered or  gave  it  to  him;  and  he  did  eat.  Paul  says  (1  Tim. 
2.  14.)  "  Adam  was  not  deceived;"  but  he  certainly  was 
tempted;  and  the  temptat'on  was  undoubtedly  very  strong; 
at  any  rate  it  overcame  him.  Adam  in  his  reply  to  God 
speaks  of  Eve  as  his  only  tempter,  perhaps  not,  as  some 
think,  to  lay  the  blame  on  God;  but  just  telling  the  naked 
truth,  not  haying  yet  learnt  the  art  of  deception.  From 
what  Paul  says,  in  the  above  text,  some  think  that  Adam 
laboured  under  no  deception,  but  wilfully  and  knowingly 
eat  the  fruit,  out  of  tenderness  to  his  wife,  that  he  might 
die  with  her.  But  there  is  no  absurdity  or  difficulty  in  un- 
derstanding this  sentence  of  the  apostle  as  an  ellipsis;  he 
is  not  treating  this  subject,  but  only  proving  that  a  woman 
ought  not  to  lead  in  public  worship;  and  introduces  the 
Unhappy  consequence  of  Eve's  taking  the  lead  of  Adam, 
and  betraying  him  into  sin,  as  an  lugument  to  check  any 
thing  like  an  assuming  spirit  in  women  in  matters  of  reli- 
gion; and  therefore  expresses  himself  very  concisely, 
leaving  out  some  words,  as  what  he  says  is  only  an  argu- 
ment to  prove  the  point  he  was  on.   I  would,  for  my  part. 


200 

rather  understand  the  apostle  so,  than  to  take  hnn  liter- 
ally,  and  make  him  speak  positive  nonsense  and  absurdi- 
ties. The  apostle's  meaning  was  simply  this:  Adam  was 
not  first  deceived;  but  the  woman  being  first  deceived, 
went  foremost,  and  led  him  in  the  transgression;  then  his 
argument  was  conclusive,  (viz.)  therefore  let  not  a  wo- 
man ever  again  pretend  to  lead  in  public  worship;  but  let 
her  learn  in  silence  with  all  subjection,  (Gen.  3.  16. 
"  He  shall  rule  over  thee,"  Gen.  3.  17.  "  because  thou 
"  hast  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  thy  wife.")  No  person 
can  dispute  but  there  are  wilful  sins  and  that  Adam  sinned 
wilfully.  Perfect  ignorance  will  perfectly  excuse  sin;  and 
the  criminality  of  all  sin  is  in  proportion  to  the  knowledge 
of  truth  (John,  9.  41.);  but  all  sinful  actions  are  in  conse- 
quence of  deception;  and  all  deception  (or  being  deceived) 
is  in  consequence  of  believing  a  falsehood,  or  false  doc- 
trine. Truth  never  will  or  can  deceive;  and  when  it  has 
its  influence  it  always  sanctifies  (John  17.  17.);  falsehood 
always  tempts  to  evil,  and  when  believed,  it  always  de- 
ceives, and  leads  to  sin  (John,  8.  44 — 47.  Ps.  119.  118.) 
Eve  had  a  great  advantage  over  Adam  in  her  tempting 
him  to  eat.  No  doubt  she  related  Satan's  comment  on  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  with  high  colour- 
ing; for  she  was  now  deeply  interested;  but  she  had  an 
argument  infinitely  more  powerful  than  any  Satan  had, 
or  could  have  with  her;  she  had  actually  eaten  and  did  not 
die.  Facts  are  unanswerable  things.  Perhaps  she  felt  no- 
thing the  worse.  Adam  could  easily  conjecture  that  he 
might  eat  also,  not  considering  through  his  hurry  of  other 
thoughts  that  he  was  the  covenant  head.  Other  motives 
out  of  view,  the  present  ones  false  and  flattering,  urging 
him  to  be  equal  in  knowledge  with  his  darling  Delilah, 
she  presenting  the  fruit  with  all  its  agreeableness  to  the 
sight — Dreadful  crisis!  "  And  he  did  eatP^ 


201 

His  rash  hand,  irv,cvil  hour 
Forth  reaching  lo  the  fruit,  he  took,  he  eat. 
Earth  felt  the  woimd ;  and  nature  from  her  seat 
Sio;hin(^,  throui^h  all  her  works,  gave  sign  of  woe 
That  all  was'lost.*  Milton. 

Thus  Adam  fell;  urged  by  false  motives,  and  not  attend- 
ing to  the  truth,  he  broke  covenant  with  God  and  ex- 
posed himself  and  all  his  posterity  to  the  penalty  of  death. 
The  first  effect  whicli  they  felt  was  a  consciousness  of 
guilt.  Their  eye^  were  opened,  which  had  been  before 
blinded  with  false  and  deceitful  arguments,  and  persua- 
sions; immediately  after  the  horrid  deed  was  done,  a 
sense  of  guilt  seized  their  consciences;  they  knew  that 
they  were  naked,  stripped  of  their  innocence,  no  more 
under  the  protection  of  God,  but  exposed  to  the  penalty 
of  the  covenant.  And  as  by  eating  of  the  tree  in  the 
midst  of  the  garden  they  became  thus  exposed  to  divine 
vengeance,  they,  driven  by  a  sense  of  guilt  to  lay  hold 
of  any  redress  which  might  be  dictated  to  them  by  a  wild 
imagination,  under  the  tortures  of  despair,  fled  to  the 
same  tree  probably  which  proved  their  ruin;  attempted  to 
screen  themselves  by  a  covering  made  of  its  leaves. 
Some  translate  the  word  an  apron,  some  a  girdle,  but  the 
greatest  presumption  from  circumstances  is  that  it  was  a 
general  covering;  but  they  put  but  little  confidence  in  it. 
when  the  time  of  trial  came  on,  for  "  They  hid  them- 
*•  selves  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  God  among  the 
**  trees  of  the  garden." 

I  am  well  aware  that  many  arc  of  opinion  that  the  lack 
of  clothing  was  meant,  by  our  first  parents  being  naked; 
and  that  they  were  ashamed  of  it  after  the  fall,  in  conse- 

*  Milton  says  this  of  Eve;  but  it  certainly  is  more  correct  to  say 
it  of  Adam.  We  are  not  certain  that  Eve  was  a  party  in  the  covenant. 
We  are  certain  Adam  was;  and  Eve  does  not  appear  to  be  sensible 
of  guilt,  till  Aduni  hiuned.  Then  all  was  lost  indeed. 

2C 


202 

quence  ol  lust,  and  that  to  cover  their  shame  they  made 
themselves  aprons,  &c.  But  I  cannot  see  any  thing  in 
the  account  of  Moses,  nor  yet  in  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  that  argues  any  such  thing.  1,  For  Adam  and  Eve, 
A\ho  never  had  Morn  anv  garments,  to  feel  shame,  be- 
cause they  were  naked,  is  an  idea  so  little,  that  we  cannot 
conceive  it  as  a  consequence  of  such  an  awful  thing  as 
the  fall.  Moses,  who  is  deservedly  reckoned  among  the 
sublimest  writers  in  the  world,  after  giving  such  a  grand 
description  of  the  first  trangression,  could  never  be  ex- 
cused for  mentioning  such  a  trifling  circumstance  as  this 
must  be.  2.  The  advocates  for  this  sentiment  seem  to  be 
sensible  of  this,  and  therefore  allege  as  a  reason,  that 
after  the  fall  they  felt  a  lustful  propensity  towards  each 
other,  and  therefore  made  themselves  aprons  to  cover 
their  shame.  But  this  makes  the  matter  ten  times  worse, 
and  is  so  far  from  being  worthy  of  the  grandeur  of  Moses, 
or  to  be  thought  of  as  one  of  the  consequences  of  the 
fall,  that  it  almost  tempts  a  serious  man  to  smile.  Can 
any  man  believe  that  Adam  and  Eve  under  the  horrors 
of  despair,  expecting  the  stroke  of  divine  vengeance 
every  moment,  could  feel  any  such  things?  And  what  if 
they  had,  would  it  have  been  any  harm?  which  of  the 
commandments  would  they  have  broken?  We  should  re* 
member  that  Eve  was  Adam's  wife. 

3.  Why  did  they  hide  themselves  from  God?  When 
God  called  "  Where  art  thou?"  Adam  said  "  I  heard  thy 
"  voice  in  the  garden  and  was  afraid  [not  ashamed]  and 
"  hid  myself."  Why?  "  Because  I  was  naked."  I  know 
not  why  any  person  should  be  either  afraid  or  ashamed 
before  God  on  the  account  of  natural  nakedness.  Clothes 
do  not  hide  from  God.  But  not  to  have  on  a  robe  of 
righteousness  would  indeed  be  enough  to  make  a  sin- 
ner afraid;  and  that  was  the  case  with  Adam  and  Eve. 
Here  Moses  appears  sublime  indeed.  This  was  a  dread- 
ful consequence  of  Adam's  sin.  No  wonder  *he  fled  from 


203 

God's  presence.  He  was  a  sinner!  Moses  beautifully  re- 
presented the  simplicity  of  the  first  pair.  "They  were 
"  both  naked,  the  man  and  his  wife,  and  were  not  asham- 
"ed."  But  that  does  not  say  or  imply  that  they  were 
ashamed  of  their  nakedness  after  they  fell. 

4.  "  God  made  them  coats  of  skins  and  clothed  them;" 
not  that  they  were  ashamed  of  their  nakedness,  but  for 
three  important  reasons. 

1.  It  is  agreed  by  all  that  those  beasts  were  killed  for 
sacrifice.  Consequentl}-  the  skins  of  those  sacrificed  beasts 
were  typical  of  the  garment  of  Christ's  righteousness,  of 
whom  they  now  had  the  promise;  as  I  have  already  ex- 
plained in  my  treatise  on  election. 

2.  God  by  taking  oft'  their  coats  of  fig  leaves  of  their 
make,  and  clothing  them  himself  with  coats  of  skin  of 
his  own  make,  showed  them  the  insufficiency  of  their  own 
righteousness  which  they  might  attempt  to  work  out,  by 
endeavouring  to  keep  the  covenant  of  works;  that  they 
should  no  longer  turn  their  attention  to  that  tree,  or  ex- 
pect that  it  could  screen  them  from  divhie  wrath,  but 
only  to  the  blood  of  atonement,  which  the  seed  of  the 
woman  would  shed  for  the  remission  of  their  sins. 

3.  It  was  expedient  that  clothing  should  be^introduced 
when  the  world  was  immediately  to  be  peopled  by  Adam's 
posterity. 

Another  consequence  of  the  fall,  which  took  place  in 
our  first  parents,  ^vas  an  alienation  of  heart  from  God. 
This  took  place  in  consequence  of  guilt.  Adam  could  not 
feel  God  as  an  enemy  until  he  felt  guilt}-;  and  as  soon  as 
Adam  became  guilty,  or  had  forfeited  his  right  to  God's 
favour,  the  divine  manifestations  were  judicially  with- 
drawn from  him.  Thus  having  lost  all  motives  to  attract 
his  heart  or  attach  his  affections  to  God,  and  guilt  and 
fear  driving  him  directly  from  God,  he  forsook  him,  and 
fled  from  his  presence;  he  hated  him  as  an  enemy,  and 
could  not  have  complaisance  in  him.  This  seems  plain 


204 

from  Adam's  reply  to  the  call  "  Where  art  thou?"  The 
answer  contains  four  important  things.  1.  "I  heard  thy 
"voice.  2.  I  was  afraid.  3.  Because  I  was  naked.  4.  I 
"  hid  myself."  This  is  the  order  in  which  it  is  set  down 
in  the  text.  The  natural  order  and  the  sense  is  this,  1.  I 
was  naked.  Guilty.  2.  I  heard  thy  voice.  Who  I  knew 
would  punish  me.  3.  I  was  afraid.  I  did  not  wish  to  die, 
if  I  could  escape.  4.  I  hid  myself.  Fled  from  thee  as 
mine  enemy. 

Thus  Adam  by  the  fall  became  totally  depraved,  liable 
to  death,  and  all  his  posterity  with  him.  Every  child  of 
Adam  is  born  under  the  imputed  guilt  of  Adam's  first 
sin,  viz.  his  eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  Inasmuch  as  all 
were  represented  in  him,  as  their  covenant  head,  they 
all  would  have  been,  had  Adam  stood,  equally  righte- 
ous with  him,  and  would,  as  Adam  did  before  he  fell, 
have  enjoyed  with  Adam  all  necessary  motives  to  ho- 
liness by  constant  communications  from  God  accord- 
ing to  the  covenant;  which  would  have  maintained  the 
whole  in  a  state  of  perfect  holiness  and  happiness  to  all 
eternity.  But  now  in  consequence  of  Adam's  fall  they 
become  equally  guilty  with  him  in  his  first  transgression; 
and  as  Adam  degenerated  into  a  state  of  depravity  or 
moral  evil  by  the  judicial  withdravvment  of  divine  mani- 
festations from  him  by  God,  who  only  could  give  them 
unto  him,  and  so  losing  all  motives  to  holiness;  and  of 
course  every  motive  to  the  contrary  from  time  to  time 
presenting  themselves,  by  a  moral  necessity,  became  un- 
holy: so  all  his  children  are  born  under  the  same  state  of 
guilt;  all  motives  to  holiness  are  consequently  withheld 
by  God  as  an  act  of  justice  according  to  the  covenant;  mo- 
tives to  sin  surrounding  on  all  hands,  of  course  motives 
to  sin  always  the  strongest,  having  no  contrary  motives 
to  contend  with,  it  is  morally  impossible  but  tha|t  every 
son  and  daughter  of  Adam  must  be  unholy  as  soon  as 
they  are  capable  of  the  very  first  moral  action. 


205 

These  art^uments  shew  that  all  mankind  by  the  fall  are 
equally  guilt} ;  the-  guilt  of  Adam's  first  sin  is  equally 
imputed  to  all;  and  they  are  even  begotten  in  the  womb 
under  such  circumstances  that  whenever  they  can  be  said 
to  be  individually  a  child  of  Adam  they  are  guilty  of 
Adam's  first  sin.  When  it  can  be  said  that  a  child  can  be 
a  subject  of  moral  government  I  know  not.  But  it  cannot 
be  until  he  is  capable  of  choosing  by  the  influence  of  ra- 
tional motives.  But  whenever  that  time  comes  the  first 
moral  action  is  a  wrong  one,  because  he  being  under  the 
curse  has  not  motives  to  holiness  presented,  and  conse- 
quently cannot  incline  to  holiness  but  to  sin,  and  thus  goes 
on  adding  sin  to  sin,  continually  breaking  the  moral  law, 
adding  the  guilt  of  every  moral  evil  to  the  original  impu- 
tation of  Adam's  first  transgression.  Hence  David  says, 
"  Behold  I  was  shapen  in  iniquity,  and  in  sin  did  my 
"  mother  conceive  me;"  and  Job,  "  Who  can  bring  a  clean 
*'  thing  from  an  unclean?'^ 


CHAPTER  VHI. 

God'' s  justice  vindicated  in  man''s  universal  guilt  and 
depravity. 

That  we  may  vindicate  the  justice  of  God  in  the  uni- 
^•ersal  depravity  of  the  human  race  we  observe  the  fol- 
lowing things. 

1.  An  act  of  special  favour  never  can  be  an  act  of  in- 
justice, unless  the  person  who  receives  it  is  a  criminal, 
and  no  proper  channel  of  mercy  opened.  (Matthew,  20. 
13—16.) 

2.  Justice  must  in  all  cases  have  its  demand;  but  when 
it  is  satisfied,  even  those  who  have  transgressed  may  enjoy 
even  special  blessings.  (Rom.  3.  31.   1  Cor.  5.  21.) 

3.  Justice  never  can  admit  a  blessing  where  a  curse  is 


206 

due;  for  justice  cannot  ble«s  and  curse  the  same  person  at 
the  same  time  and  in  the  same  case.  (Gen.  2.  17,  and 
19.  2':.) 

The  texts  I  have  quoted  undoubtedly  prove  the  above 
propositions  to  be  true;  and  they  are  so  self-evident  that 
they  need  no  proof.  I  hesitate  not  to  presume  that  my 
readers  will  admit  them  as  incontestible. 

1.  On  the  first  I  argues  That  if  Adam  had  to  depend 
on  his  perfect  obedience  to  the  moral  law,  and  all  his 
posterity  for  ever  for  their  happiness,  they  must  have  been 
for  ever  in  danger  of  falling.  We  could,  in  justice,  have 
asked  no  more  of  our  Creator,  it  is  true,  but  he  could 
give  us  more  if  he  saw  fit;  he  could  enter  into  engage- 
ments to  establish  us  in  perfection;  but  he  must  do  it  in 
a  way  consistent  with  moral  liberty,  or  our  moral  agency 
would  be  completely  destroyed,  which  would  in  effect 
destroy  our  holiness  instead  of  establishing  us  in  it.  It 
certainly  would  be  a  favour  for  him  to  do  so,  provided 
the  condition  of  the  covenant  was  easier  kept,  than  it 
would  be  to  keep  the  moral  law  forever;  but  if  the  con- 
dition was  a  mere  trifle  and  the  time  of  probation  short, 
the  advantage  to  us  would  undoubtedly  be  incalculable; 
and  we  would  be  laid  under  an  infinite  debt  of  gratitude 
to  our  great  Creator  for  such  a  special  favour.  God  was 
pleased  to  do  so.  He  entered  into  a  covenant  with  Adam 
as  a  representative  of  his  posterity,  as  we  have  already 
seen.  The  nature  of  this  covenant  we  have  examined. 
We  have  demonstrated  that  the  blessings  insured  were 
holiness  and  happiness  for  ever;  and  the  condition  was  not 
to  eat  the  forbidden  fruit. 

This  was  so  far  from  injustice  that  it  was  infinite  good- 
ness, and  an  astonishing  instance  of  special  favour.  But 
alas !  our  first  father  broke  the  covenant  and  plunged  him- 
self and  his  posterity  into  a  state  of  guilt  and  misery;  so 
that  while  we  acknowledge  the  goodness  of  God  we  have 
to  lament  our  unhappy  fall. 


207 

2.  The  plan  of  the  gospel  comes  under  the  second  pro- 
position,  which  we  expect  to  treat  athirge  in  course. 

3.  The  third  proposition  contains  the  principles  on 
which  the  justice  of  God  is  vindicated,  in  the  universal 
depravity  of  mankind. 

We  are  t(j  remember  that  holiness  is  not  any  thing  me- 
chanical, accidental  or  compulsory;  it  must  consist  in  the 
free  choice  and  inclination  of  the  heart  to  that  which  is 
morally  excellent.  To  speak  with  reverence,  God  neither 
would  nor  could  force  a  man  either  to  be  holy  o*-  sinful; 
for  it  is  an  impossibility  to  constrain  the  choice  to  any 
thing  whatsoever;  con.sequently  every  man  must  choose 
for  himself;  and  he  is  either  a  holy  or  an  unholy  man,  ac- 
cording to  the  objects  of  his  choice  and  according  to  the 
motives  which  induce  him  to  choose. 

The  moral  excellence  of  any  thing  morally  excellent 
will  not  be  perceived,  unless  our  minds  are  enlightened 
by  divine  grace.  This  I  believe  to  be  a  truth,  although  I 
do  not  pretend  to  know  what  divine  illumination  is.  The 
bible  proves  the  necessity  of  it,  and  so  does  experience. 
"  He  will  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and 
*'  of  judgment."  But  however  the  Spirit  enlightens  the  un- 
derstanding, it  is  necessary  in  order  to  perceive  the  proper 
motives  to  holiness;  no  person  can  be  holy  without  it;  and 
I  believe  Adam  in  a  state  of  innocence,  or  when  he  was 
first  created,  had  as  much  need  of  divine  illumination,  as 
any  man  has  since  the  fall;  neither  could  he  be  holy  without 
it  any  more  than  we  can  now.  When  he  was  first  creat- 
ed, he  in  the  first  moment  of  his  existence  occupied  mid- 
dle ground;  he  was  perfectly  innocent  yet  had  neither 
guilt  nor  holiness;  and  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  be 
either  right  or  wrong  until  he  performed  liis  first  moral 
action.  The  notion  that  God  concreated  holiness  in  or 
with  Adam  is  as  childish  as  it  is  absurd.  But  God  instan- 
taneously enlightened  Adam's  mind,  which  brought  di- 
vine truths  to  his  view  and  swayed  his  choice,  so  to  speak, 


208 

and  he  immediately  became  a  holy  man  in  consequence  of 
his  choosing  what  was  morally  right,  from  proper  mo- 
tives. How  God  illuminated  his  mind  I  know  not,  but 
that  he  really  did  is  very  evident;  and  let  him  do  it  what 
way  he  might,  it  was  no  doubt  the  very  same  way  he  en- 
lightens the  believer,  after  he  has  come  from  under  the 
curse  of  the  brofeen  covenant,  by  the  imputation  of 
Christ's  righteousness,  and  becomes  entitled  to  this  di- 
vine illumination. 

This  illumination  giving  manifestations  of  holiness  and 
divine  glory  to  the  soul,  first  produced  holiness  in  Adam, 
and  produces  regeneration  in  a  believer  on  the  very  same 
principles.  The}'^  are  transformed  into  the  same  image, 
from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 

Thus  "  God  who"  had  lately  by  his  almighty  power 
"  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness"  shined 
in  the  heart  of  Adam  to  give  him  the  knowledge  of  his 
glory,  and  thus  "  he  shines  into  our  hearts"  to  this  day, 
when  the  penalty  of  the  law  is  removed  by  faith  in  Christ, 
he  being  made  sin,  or  a  sacrifice  for  us,  "  to  give  us  the 
"  same  knowledge,  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ." 

But  still  how  the  divine  Spirit  does  this,  I  know  not; 
neither  is  it  necessary  to  know  it.  I  can  mention  four  ways 
in  w  hich  perhaps  it  is  done. 

1.  By  giving  the   understanding  a  capacity  of  some 
kind,  by  which  it  perceives  moral  excellence.  But  I  con-  , 
fess  I  have  no  idea  here.  If  my  reader  can  get  a  good  one  1 
out  of  the  sentence  he  is  very  welcome  to  it ;  and  if  in  f 
this  sentence  I  have  given  him  an  idea  I  have  given  what 
I  have  not  myself. 

2.  By  presenting  moral  truths  in  such  a  manner,  or  at- 
tended with  such  circumstances,  as  gain  upon  the  under- 
standing so  that  it  takes  up  the  idea  of  moral  excellence. 
Here  also  1  must  confess  my  ignorance. 

3.  By  bringing  forward  some  influential  circumstances 
accompanying  the  truth,  as  motives  to  induce  the  mind  to 


209 

dwell  upDii  moral  subjects,  so  long  unci  so  intensely  tlial 
the  understanding  gets  a  proper  hold  of  them.  Here  I  have 
a  clear  idea,  but  whether  it  is  the  right  one  or  not  I  will 
not  aflirm ;  and 

4.  By  expelling  from  the  mind  all  opposite  motives,  so 
as  to  give  the  truth  the  ascendency.  This  1  can  also  un- 
derstand. Now  put  the  two  last  together,  more  or  less,  a3 
need  should  require,  and  say  that  some  interesting  cir^ 
cumstance  or  circumstances  (for  there  are  many)  arc 
brought  forward  which  induce  the  muid  to  Ux  intensely 
and  long  enough,  and  other  things  kept  out  of  sight  which 
would  have  a  tendency  to  divert  the  mind  from  the  truth; 
and  if  the  reader  will  venture  to  say  that  this  is  the  work 
of  the  Spirit  in  illumination,  I  will  not  contradict  him,  al- 
though I  dare  not  affirm  it  to  be  right. 

When  a  man  is  enlightened,  he  is  not  conscious  of  any 
additional  strength,  or  natural  capacity  given  to  his  mind ; 
neither  is  he  conscious  of  any  new  truths  coming  to  his 
mind,  if  he  was  taught  in  die  gospel;  if  not  he  may  be, 
and  doubtless  Adam  was,  when  he  was  created;  perhaps 
the  jiiiler  was;  for  he  was  a  heathen.  But  at  any  rate  he 
perceives  the  truth  with  such  clearness,  that  he  feels  ii 
interesting  his  heart.  He  finds  his  mind  intensely  set  upon 
it;  and  he  finds  that  all  other  motives  have  lost  their 
influence  on  his  mind. 

Upon  the  whole,  although  we  cannot  say  how  it  is  done, 
yet  it  is  evident  from  2  Cor.  2.  i2,  13,  14.  and  from  the 
bible  at  large,  that  the  soul  will  not  perceive  moral  excel- 
lence, and  be  influenced  thereby,  unless  God  is  pleased  to 
enlighten  the  understanding,  and  give  the  knowledge  of 
his  divine  glor}'.  And  it  is  also  evident,  that  when  he 
does  it  will  make  a  man  holy.  (2  Cor.  3.  18.) 

This  divine  illumination  is  what  God  engaged  to  con- 
tinue with  Adam,  and  grant  to  his  posterity  in  the  cove- 
nant of  works;  which  would  have  for  ever  secured  his  con- 
formitv  to  the  moral  law;  and  he  would  have  been  for  ever 

2D 


210 

holy  and  happy.  This  illumination  Christ  offers  to  sin- 
ners in  the  gospel,  when  he  proposes  to  write  the  law  upon 
their  minds,  and  put  it  into  their  hearts.  Believers  have 
it  insured  to  them  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  which  gua- 
rantees their  holiness  for  ever.  Unbelievers  reject  it  when 
they  reject  the  gospel,  and  consequently  can  never  be 
sanctified. 

But  to  come  to  the  point.  Adam,  for  himself,  and  all 
his  posterity,  by  eating  the  forbidden  fruit,  for  ever  for- 
feited this  inestimable  blessing;  and  consequently  sin  in 
all  its  horrors  is  entailed  on  his  posterity,  bringing  down 
on  them  inevitable  ruin.  For  without  God  illuminates 
their  minds  they  never  can  be  holy,  which  is  evidently 
proven  by  the  following  scriptures:  1  Cor.  2.  14.  "  The 
natural  man,  (a  man  of  himself,  or  a  man  under  the 
curse  of  the  broken  covenant;  or,  more  literally,  a  man 
with  the  natural  powers  of  the  mind,  ["^vxiy-og  ^g  uvB-^a- 
TTog)  perceiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  {h- 
X^oi,^)  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him;  neither  can  he 
know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned." 
(Foolishness,  viz.  things  not  seen,  y^w^toc^  spiritually 
discerned,  viz.  not  perceivable  by  natural  capacity,  but 
in  a  spiritual  manner  7rvgujw.ot1«>cMi  avocK^iviloct.)  And  v.  15. 
*'  'O  ^i  2?rvgy|W«.7*)co5"  He  who  is  divinely  illuminated  "  avocK- 
*'  ^<vgj  fMla  ■uravlcc'"  has  a  perception  in  all  things,  (both 
natural  and  spiritual);  "  o^xjIo?  «^£,"  but  he  himself"  vyr'a^ivog 
"  otv«.)c^<v£7ot»"  is  not  perceived  by  any  one;  (no  one  per- 
ceives either  what  he  does  or  how  he  does  it;  that  is,  no 
one  Yt»;^gx-oc,  in  a  natural  state,  or  with  the  natural  power 
of  the  mind  without  illum.ination.)  Verse  16.  "  T<?  yfst^ 
*'  iyvci)  vav  Kv^m,  o?  crvfx^iQoca-it  oiurov;"  For  who  has  known 
the  mind  of  the  Lord?  who  will  instruct  him?  "  but  we 
have  the  mind  of  Christ."  That  is,  no  man  can  discern 
the  will  of  God  unless  God  instruct  him;  but  we  have  the 
gospel  to  direct  us  how  to  obtain  divine  illumination, 
(even  by  faith  in  Christ.) 


211 

In  the  eleventh  verse  \vc  have  the  same  doctrine  taught 
us,  "  For  what  man  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save 
*'  the  spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him;  even  so  the  things 
"  of  God  knoweth  no  man  but  the  Spirit  of  God." 

1  apprehend  the  apostle  explains  this  important  cir- 
cumstiuice  in  Rom.  8,  7.  "  Because  the  carnal  mind 
(even  a  mind  in  a  state  of  nature,  under  the  penalty  of 
the  law)  is  enmity  against  God,  (hating  God  as  an  enemy) 
for  it  is  not  subject  to  tlie  law  of  God,  (not  set  in  order 
by  the  law  w7roTa6i7a<)  neither  indeed  can  be"  (while  it  re- 
mains under  the  curse  of  the  law),  verse  8.  So  then,  they 
cannot  be  reconciled  to  God,  or  be  conformed  to  his 
will,  who  remain  in  such  a  state,  not  brought  out  of  it 
by  the  gospel,  (verse  9.)  But  if  your  minds  are  illumina- 
ted by  the  Spirit  of  God  you  are  not  in  a  state  of  nature, 
under  the  curse  in  which  you  were  born  a  child  of  Adam; 
but  interested  in  the  gospel,  which  delivers  you  from 
the  curse  by  the  atonement  of  Christ.  So  that  if  any  man 
is  not  illuminated  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  has  no  part 
or  interest  in  his  atonement.  On  this  point  I  will  refer 
the  reader  to  Eph.  1.  18.  Matt.  13.  11,  12.  Eph.  4. 
18—20.  2  Cor.  4.  4.  Eph.  2.  1—5.  2  Cor.  3.  18,  and 
4.  6. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  vindication  of  God^s  justice  continued. 

We  come  now  to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  the  death 
threatened  in  the  covenant,  in  case  of  disobedience.  "  In 
"  the  day  thou  eatesi  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die." 

It  has  universally  been  given  up  by  the  orthodox  divines, 
that  death,  temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal,  are  all  inclu- 
ded in  tliis  penalty.  But  I  must  confess  tliat  I  am  so  un- 


-212 

Mppy  as  to  differ  from  the  common  sentiment,  in  several 
important  things  and  in  this  also.  I  cannot  adopt  con- 
tradictory sentiments.  I  am  confident  that  not  one  sylla- 
ble of  the  truth  contradicts  another. 

It  appears  evident  to  me  that  spiritual  death,  consisting 
in  guilt  and  depravity,  was  the  particular  thing  meant  by 
the  v^ords,  "  thou  shalt  surely  die"  or  as  it  is  in  the 
Hebrew,  "  dying,  thou  shalt  die." 

I  am  not  willing  to  admit,  that  temporal  death  makes 
any  part  of  that  curse,  any  more  than  the  headach,  the 
spleen,  the  pleurisy  or  any  other  disease;  or  any  of  the 
common  afflictions  of  life. 

It  appears  that  Eve's  sorrow  both  in  conception  and 
child-bearing,  her  subjection  to  her  husband,  the  ground 
bringing  forth  thorns  and  thistles,  Adam's  toil  and  la- 
bour and  his  returning  again  to  the  dust  should  all  consti- 
tute that  wisely  ordered  train  of  afflictive  dispensations  of 
God's  providence,  which  he  instituted  under  the  gospel 
plan,  or  dispensation,  with  a  fatherly  design  towards  his 
church  and  people,  and  ought  not  to  be  considered  as 
making  any  direct  part  of  the  curse  of  the  broken  cove- 
nant. I  will  give  some  reasons  why  I  think  so,  and  then 
cheerfully  allow  my  reader  to  differ  in  sentiment,  if  he 
sees  fit. 

1.  God  told  Adam  these  things  after  he  had  denounced 
the  curse,  particularly  on  the  serpent  for  his  individual 
fault  in  insnaring  our  first  parents,  and  on  the  serpent's 
seed,  the  non-elect;  and  after  he  had  given  the  promise 
of  Christ  to  deliver  him,  and  all  the  elect  from  the  curse 
of  the  broken  covenant.  Although  the  whole  human  race 
was  now  under  the  curse,  according  to.  the  penalty  of  the 
covenant,  yet  God  was  not  now  pronouncing  that  curse 
on  the  elect,  but  revealing  the  gospel  to  them,  including 
all  those  afflictions  as  necessary  parts  of  the  gospel  plan ; 
as  in   Mark,   10.  30.  where  affliction  and  .persecution 


213 

make  a  part  of  Christ's  legacy  to  his  disciples,  as  con- 
nected with  the  radical  blessings  of  the  gospel.  And 
Paul  tells  Timothy  (2  Tim.  3.  12.)  that  all  shall  suffer 
persecution,  who  will  live  godly  in  this  world.  Paul 
calls  death  our  salvation.  (Rom.  13.  11.)  If  then,  it  is  a 
part  of  the  discipline  of  the  gospel,  how  can  it  be  the 
curse  of  the  law?  and  even  the  death  of  the  non-elect 
might  easily  be  viewed  as  a  dispensation  of  providence 
towards  them  for  the -sake  of  the  church;  and  to  bring 
them  through  that  channel  to  their  condign  punishment. 
2.  Christ  undoubtedly  paid  the  ransom  in  full  for 
every  believer  when  he  sufiered  on  the  cross ;  he  did  not 
leave  a  drop  in  the  bitter  cup ;  and  consequently  the  whole 
is  imputed  to  believers  which  undoubtedly  does  com- 
pletely deliver  them  from  that  penalty.  It  is  evident  that 
Christ  completed  his  work  of  atonement  before  he  gave 
up  the  ghost  (John  19.  13.)  *'  It  is  finished."  His  vicari- 
ous sufferings  were  done  and  perfected.  Also  when 
Christ's  righteousness  is  imputed  to  the  believer,  although 
it  certainly  does  deliver  him  from  every  part  and  degree 
of  tlie  curse  of  the  law,  yet  it  does  not  deliver  him  from 
one  thing  which  God  pronounced  to  Adam  and  Eve. 
Eve  and  all  her  daughters  conceive  and  bring  forth,  in 
sorrow.  Adam  and  all  his  sons  live  on  the  fruit  of  the 
ground  by  sorrow  and  toil  of  some  kind  or  other;  and  the 
fields  of  believers  bring  forth  thorns  and  thistles,  as  bad 
as  any  others;  they  are  as  often  sick  and  oftener  per- 
secuted; and  at  last  they  all  die  and  return  to  the  dust. 
This  surely  decides  the  question.  Divines,  feeling  the 
force  of  this  objection,  say  that  Christ  took  away  the 
sting  of  death.  This  I  grant;  that  is,  he  took  away  sin, 
and  the  strength  of  sin,  even  the  curse  of  the  law;  but 
with  ^A,  he  did  not  take  away  temporal  death,  for  this  plain 
reason,  because  it  was  no  part  of  the  curse  of  the  law; 
had  it  been  a  part  of  the  curse,  he  would  have  undoub 
tedly  delivered  us  from  it. 


214 

3.  Not  one  of  the  non-elect  ever  will  escape  any  part 
of  that  curse.  If  temporal  death  is  a  c.irse,  sorrow  in 
conception  and  child-bearing,  labour  and  toil,  biiers  and 
thorns,  and  every  thing  mentioned  to  Adam  and  Eve  are 
curses  also.  How  many  wicked  women  never  have  chil- 
dren? How  many  wicked  men  live  in  affluence  and  ease 
compared  to  many  pious  believers?  How  could  it  be, 
that  those  who  are  redeemed  from  the  whole  curse  of  the 
law  by  Christ  should  suffer  ten  times  more  of  this  part 
of  it  (for  they  are  generally  the  poor  and  afflicted)  than 
thousands  who  are  legally  exposed  to  it? 

Having  rendered  my  reasons,  I  cheerfully  submit  the 
decision  of  the  question  to  the  reader,  to  judge  as  he  sees 
fit;  and  upon  the  whole,  it  makes  no  great  matter  which 
way  we  determine,  only  I  would  rather  be  right  than 
wrong. 

2.  As  to  eternal  death  I  have  no  objections  against 
counting  it  a  part  of  the  penalty  of  the  law;  and  a  tre- 
mendous part  it  is.  Yet  were  I  indulged  to  speak  ac- 
curately on  the  subject,  I  would  say  that  the  eternal 
duration  of  the  death  which  the  law  demands  is  solely  in 
consequence  of  the  insufficiency  of  the  sinner  to  come 
up  to  the  requisitions  of  the  law  in  a  shorter  time.  It  is 
not,  strictly  speaking,  eternal  in  its  own  nature;  but  it  is 
eftectually  so  in  its  consequences  when  inflicted  on  a 
finite  creature.  Christ  endured  it  in  three  hours.  But  no 
creature  could  ever  say  "  It  is  finished."  Had  the  law  res- 
pected duration,  and  not  validity,  and  fixed  the  term  of 
eternity  (if  my  reader  will  pardon  such  an  awkward  ex- 
pression) to  the  penalty,  we  never  could  have  been  re- 
deemed. But  inasmuch  as  the  law  justly  required  only 
sufficient  punishment  to  magnify  it  and  make  it  honoura- 
ble, the  infinite  dignity  of  Christ's  person,  he  being  a 
divine  person,  and  his  infinite  ability  to  bear  the  whole 
without  being  defiled  with  moral  evil,  rendered  full  satis- 


215 

faction  to  the  law  in  his  vicarious  atonement  on  the  cross; 
so  that  the  believer  can  say  nith  Paul  "  I  was  crucified 
with  Christ,  therefore  I  live." 

But  if  these  things  were  done  in  the  green  tree,  what 
shall  become  of  the  dry?  The  sinner  is  linite;  he  is  not 
able  to  give  infinite  honour  to  ihc  law  of  an  infinitely  glo- 
rious lawgiver  in  any  given  time;  for  he  has  nothing  in 
him  infinite  but  duration.  Moreover  the  law  requires,  as 
we  shall  see  presently,  the  infliction  of  spiritual  death; 
which  would  sink  any  finite  being  into  an  irrecoverable 
state  of  moral  pollution,  from  which  he  never  could  re- 
gain himself.  So  that  the  sinner  must  indeed  sufi'er  to 
eternity.  (Matt.  ^25.  41.  46.  Rev.  22.  11.) 

S.  But  the  radical  essence  of  the  curse  of  the  law  is 
death  spiritual;  which  although  it  includes  guilt  in  a 
certain  sense,  yet  especially  it  consists  in  the  withdraw- 
ment  of  the  glory  of  God,  or  divine  illumination  from  the 
soul.  It  is  very  improper  to  say  that  spiritual  death  is 
sin;  and  this  unhappy  idea,  which  has  i:)cen  generally  en- 
tertained, has  been  the  cause  of  all  the  difficulty,  which 
divines  have  found,  in  accounting  for  the  general  depra- 
vity of  the  human  race,  consistent  with  the  justice  of 
God.  When  we  say  that  moral  evil,  or  wickedness  in 
heart  is  spiritual  death,  then  if  we  say  that  God  has  any 
direct  hand  in  producing  it  we  make  God  the  author  of 
sin;  and  to  show  how  all  mankind  became  universally 
polluted  and  to  vindicate  the  divine  perfections,  has  been 
an  insurmountable  task.  Our  notion  of  God's  creating 
Adam  holy,  has  also  had  a  powerful  influence  on  us,  to 
render  this  subject  very  diflScult. 

Now  let  us  lay  aside  those  ideas,  and  consider  how  it 
was  only  possible  for  Adam  to  become  holy,  and  continue 
holy;  and  let  us  consider  that  spiritual  death  is  the  with- 
drawment  of  the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  or  the 
divine  glory  and  perfections,  and  consequently  to  leave 


216 

the  soul  without  sufficient  motives  to  holiness;  and  then 
let  us  understand  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of  works,  in 
order  to  see  the  propriety  of  this  withdrawment,  on  the 
strict  principles  of  justice,  and  all  our  difficulties  will  be 
over.  We  must  soon  see  that  it  is  so  far  from  being  diffi- 
cult to  account  for  the  universal  depravity  of  the  human 
race,  that  in  justice,  after  Adam  broke  the  covenant,  it 
would  be  morally  impossible  to  prevent  it. 

1.  I  have  demonstrated  that  holiness  and  sin  is  the 
disposition  of  the  mind;  and  that  God,  strictly  speaking, 
did  not  and  couid  not  make  any  being  holy  or  sinful,  by 
an  act  of  his  power;  and  also  that  good  motives  are  essen- 
tially necessary  to  holiness;  and  the  want  of  them  will 
inevitably  involve  a  de|  endent  creature  in  sin,  through 
the  influence  of  false  motives  taking  place. 

2.  I  have  also  demonstrated  that  God  made  the  tree  in 
the  midst  of  the  garden  the  sole  condition  of  the  covenant 
of  works;  and  tluit  he  promised  Adam  on  this  condition, 
to  grant  him  all  necessary  manifestation  of  his  glory  and 
excellencies  to  keep  him  in  a  state  of  perfect  holiness; 
and  threatened  to  withdraw  them  immediately,  the  very 
day  he  would  eat  the  forbidden  fruit. 

3.  I  have  proved  that  Adam  did  eat  of  that  very  tree, 
and  consequently  forfeited  his  right  to  the  illuminations 
of  God's  Spirit;  and  consequently  rendered  himself  liable 
to  spiritual  death  in  all  its  dismal  consequences. 

4.  I  have  demonstrated  that  spiritual  death  was  the 
particular  curse  of  the  law,  the  very  penalty  annexed  to 
the  covenant;  and  also  that  it  consisted  in  the  suspension 
of  those  divine  manifestations,  and  consequently  moral 
darkness. 

5.  It  is  also  proven  that  Adam's  posterity  were  in  the 
very  same  predicament,  in  consequence  of  Adam  being 
a  public  person,  and  their  federal  head. 

Now  remember  that  according  to  prop..  3.  page  205, 
Justice  never  can  admit  a  blessing  where  a  curse  is  due ; 


2d7 

for  justice  cannot  bless  and  curse  the  same  person,  at 
the  same  time  and  in  the  same  case.  The  truth  n  ill  come 
forth,  that  God  must  in  justice  withhold  the  iufiucnces 
of  his  i^racc  from  every  child  of  Adam,  in  consequence 
of  the  forfeiture,  and  according  to  the  penalty  of  the 
covenant  of  works,  which  is  spiritual  death;  the  inevi- 
table consequence  of  which  is,  every  child  of  Adam  is 
under  this  awful  curse.  The  soul  is  formed  and  put  into 
the  body,  when  and  in  what  manner  God  pleases;  it  is 
not  material  how  or  when;  but  whenever  the  soul  and 
body  are  united,  there  is  a  child  of  Adam  under  the 
curse;  not  blessed  as  Adam  was,  when  he  became  a 
living  soul,  with  motives  to  holiness  that  would  certainly 
incline  the  choice  to  that  which  is  good,  but  left  in  dark- 
ness, as  Adam  was  when  he  fell ;  not  one  ray  of  divine 
light  reaching  the  heart,  but  surrounded  with  motives  to 
evil  from  every  quarter,  and  continues  to  be  in  that 
doleful  situation,  bound  under  the  fiery  guard  of  the 
flaming  sword,  which  turneth  every  way  to  keep  the  way 
of  the  tree  of  life;  and  never  can  be  rescued,  but  by  the 
application  of  the  blood  of  the  atonement.  The  plain  and 
inevitable  consequence  must  be,  that  as  soon  as  ever  the 
child  comes  to  be  capable  of  moral  action,  let  that  be 
when  it  may,  the  very  first  act  is  sin;  and  so  the  sinner 
will  inevitably  go  on  adding  sin  to  sin,  unless  redeemed 
by  the  cross  of  Christ,  to  eternity.  Justice  never  can 
admit  the  blessing  of  restoration  to  be  applied,  until  the 
curse  is  removed,  which  is  due  by  the  covenant  of  works; 
which  never  can  be  done  but  only  by  an  interest  in  Christ 
according  to  the  covenant  of  grace. 

Thus  it  is  easy  to  see,  how  universal  depravity  takes 
place,  even  by  the  strictest  principles  of  justice;  and  God 
is  so  far  from  being  stained  with  the  impeachment  of  sin 
in  the  case,  that  it  would  be  morally  impossible  for  him 
to  maintain  his  honour  and  dignity   in  his  moral  gov- 

2  E 


218 

eniment,  if  he  did  not  inflict  that  dreadful  curse  of  spiri- 
tual death  on  every  child  of  Adam. 

There  is  but  one  objection,  which  1  can  see,  lying 
against  this  doctrine,  and  that  of  but  little  force  when  it 
is  examined.  It  may  be  said,  what  is  the  difference  be- 
twixt  sinning  wilfully,  and  wilfully  doing  that  which  is 
the  occasion  of  sin?  If  God  knew  that  the  withholding 
divine  light  from  the  soul,  would  be  the  cause  of  sin, 
was  he  not  equally  criminal  in  such  a  case,  as  if  he  had 
actually  been  the  immediate  author  of  sin?  I  answer  no. 

If  the  first  action  be  wrong,  then,  and  then  only  the 
evil  subsequent  to  it  is  charged  to  the  original  cause. 
Hence  Adam  was  very  guilty  in  eating  the  forbidden 
fruit.  But  if  the  first  action  or  cause  be  just  and  right, 
then  the  evil  which  may  follow  in  consequence  of  it, 
can  never  be  charged  to  the  first  actor.  It  is  the  nature 
of  sin  to  proceed  forward  in  its  consequences,  and  to 
revert  backward  in  its  guilt,  until  it  comes  to  where 
a  crime  was  first  committed,  and  there  it  stops  short, 
and  cannot  extend  to  a  good  action.  For  instance,  if  A 
does  a  just  action,  and  B  does  wrong  in  consequence 
of  it,  C  does  wrong  in  consequence  of  that,  and  D, 
of  that,  he.  Now  note  the  table  annexed  to 
this,  and  suppose  A  does  a  just  action,  he 
is  not  guilty.  See  A  with  a  nought  under 
it.  B  takes  occasion  in  consequence  of  the  conduct  of 
A  to  do  wrong,  he  has  by  supposition  two  degrees  of 
guilt;  see  No.  2  under  B.  C  also  does  wrong  in  con-' 
sequence  of  B,  and  is  four  degrees  guilty;  see  No.  4 
under  C.  The  sin  goes  on  to  D,  who  is  one  degree 
guilty;  see  No.  1  under  D.  Now  to  add  up  their  cri 
minality,  you  must  begin  at  D;  his  guilt  is  not  increased 
any,  as  he  was  the  last  sinner,  and  the  guilt  of  the  others 
are  not  laid  to  his  charge.  But  you  must  add  his  guilt  to 
C,  which  makes  five  degrees;  see  No.  5  under  C;  then 
add  the  guilt  of  D  and  C  to  B,  and  it  mak'es  seven  de- 
grees; but  you  can  go  no  farther,  because  A  is  perfectly 


A. 

B. 

c. 

D. 

0 

2 

4 

1 

0 

7 

5 

^19 

iust  in  what  he  did.  But  B  has  seven  degrees  of  guih, 
and  five  more  than  he  had  at  first;  C  has  five,  and  one 
more  than  he  had  at  first. 

Suppose  A  was  Joseph,  who  did  right  in  going  at 
his  father's  command  to  see  his  brethren;  B,  liis  bre- 
thren who  sold  him;  C,  Potiphar's  wife;  and  D,  the 
chief  butler.  Suppose  again  A  was  Christ  going  ta 
Gethsemene;  B,  Judas;  C,  the  chief  priests;  and  D,  Pilate. 
So  you  see  when  a  person's  actions  are  just,  he  is  not  ac- 
countable for  the  ill  consequences  that  may  attend  them: 

John  the  Baptist  was  beheaded  because  he  reproved 
Herod;  but  John  was  not  guilty.  Paul  and  Peter  and  all 
the  apostles,  except  John,  lost  their  lives  for  preaching  the 
gospel;  but  they  were  not  guilty.  Jesus  Christ  greatly 
aggravated  the  guilt  of  the  Jews,  by  his  doctrine  and 
miracles;  but  yet  he  was  net  chargeable  for  it.  So  you 
must  see  the  objection  falls  of  course  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  vindication  of  God'' s  justice  farther  continued. 

Although  the  moral  law  is  not  a  covenant,  nor  can  be 
■■i.  condition  of  a  covenant,  yet  no  covenant  can  be  made 
without  it,  which  is  lawful  and  just.  No  covenant  can  be 
binding  on  the  parties,  which  is  contrary  to  the  moral  law; 
and  the  moral  law  always  binds  both  parties  equally,  ac- 
cording to  the  stipulations,  or  conditions  agreed  to,  and 
confirmed  by  mutual  consent.  This  it  docs  on  the  copi- 
mon  principles  of  truth  and  justice.  Although  the  moral 
law  was  not,  and  I  think  could  not  be  the  condition  of  the 
covenant  of  works,  yet  it  bound  both  parties  to  fulfil  their 
respective  parts  on  the  condition  agreed  unto;  because 
justice,  truth  and  faithfulness  are  morally  binding  in  all 
la\vful  contracts.  When  Adam  eat  the  forbidden  fruit,  he 


220 

did  not'break  the  moral  law,  as  a  condition  of  the  covenant, 
but  only  as  a  rule  of  equity,  binding  him  to  his  positive 
contract.  Therefore  the  law  viewed  him  as  guilty  of  un- 
faithfulness to  his  contract;  but  it  was  the  covenant  that 
plead  guilty;  and  the  law  only  seconded  the  plea  as 
thinking  it  right,  according  to  the  conditions  agreed 
unto.  The  law,  therefore  acted  as  an  umpire  betwixt  the 
two  parties,  and  on  the  condition  of  the  covenant  decided 
against  the  transgressor.  Adam  as  a  federal  head  was 
the  transgressor;  therefore,  he  was  condemned  to  death, 
on  principles  of  equity,  for  breaking  the  covenant,  by 
eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  God  was  therefore  under 
moral  obligations  to  inflict  that  death  upon  him. 

But  we,  who  are  interested  judges,  think  that  although 
God  would  be  under  covenant  engagements  to  give  the 
reward  had  Adam  stood;  yet  he  could  remit  the  punish- 
ment incurred  by  the  fall.  But  this  is  far  from  logical 
reasoning.  The  principle  of  justice  is  as  strict  on  the 
one  side,  as  on  the  other;  and  even  granting  that  God 
could  remit  the  punishment  if  he  would,  yet  it  could  not 
be  unjust  to  inflict  it,  if  he  saw  fit.  But  we  should  con- 
sider that  his  own  glory  is  the  grand  object  of  all  the 
proceedings  of  the  Deity.  Every  instance  of  mere  mercy, 
is  an  indignity  to  any  law.  If  God  would  remit,  when 
the  dignity  of  his  law  required  punishment,  he  would 
certainly  act  derogatory  to  his  honour.  He  must  therefore 
miss  his  grand  object,  his  own  glory;  and  the  real  glory 
of  God  would  be  made  subordinate  to  the  happiness  of  a 
base  sinner.  This  would  certainly  be  wrong;  and  God 
could  never  govern  the  universe  on  such  principles; 
and  therefore  to  save  sinners  Jesus  Christ  became  a 
ransom,  to  magnify  the  law  and  make  it  honourable. 

What  is  to  hinder  any  man  to  see  the  unhappy  conse- 
quences of  the  fall?  He  eat,  and  by  eating  forfeited  all 
the  blessings  of  the  covenant,  and  incurred  all  the  curse. 
What  could  God,  even  a  God  of  infinite,  iitflexible  jus- 
tice, and  unchangeable  truth,  do  in  such  a  case? 


221 

1.  Could  lie  bless  Adam?  No:  he  was  guilty,  and  a 
curse  was  due.  Could  he  ])rcHervc  him  any  lont^cr  in  a 
state  oi"  rectitude?  No,  that  would  be  to  bless,  and  a 
curse  was  due:  and  he  could  not  bless  and  curse  him,  at 
the  same  time,  and  in  the  same  case.  Could  he  continue 
his  divine  manifestations  of  moral  excellence,  and  glory? 
No:  justice  forbade;  neither  would  it  be  suitable  to  keep 
him  holy,  when  he  must  on  the  principles  of  justice,  be 
damned  for  ever. 

Could  he  protect  him  from  false  motives,  and  tempta- 
tions calculated  to  draw  him  into  sin?  No:  all  is  forfeited, 
and  lost.  • 

2.  Could  he  curse  Adam?  Yes:  and  justice  said  he  must 
do  it.  Truth  said  he  mu'^t;  the  covenant  said  he  must; 
and  the  moral  law  said  he  must. 

Must  he  withdraw  all  divine  light,  and  truth,  and  all 
communications  of  moral  excellence  from  him?  and  leave 
him  to  wade  through  darkness  and  delusion,  exposed  to 
snares  and  temptations  on  every  hand?  Yes:  this  is  what 
Adam  agreed  to,  in  the  covenant.  This  is  what  God  said 
he  would  do,  if  Adam  eat  of  the  tree;  this  is  what  jus- 
tice, truth  and  law  demands,  and  must  have;  and  conse- 
quently it  must  be  done,  or  God  must  act  contrary  to 
truth  and  justice. 

Now,  what  must  be  done  with  his  posterity?  Nothing 
can  be  done  for  them  more  than  could  be  done  for  Adam. 
All  share  the  same  fate.  All  were  represented  in  Adam. 
All  became  liable  to  the  same  curse,  and  forfeited  the 
same  blesshigs,  and  consequently  must  be  treated  in  the 
same  manner.  Justice  cannot  spare  a  single  soul;  they 
must  all  die,  deserted  and  lost,  without  God,  and  without 
hope,  in  the  world. 

These  principles  which  I  have  laid  down  do  certainly 
show  us  the  only  rational  way  of  accounting  for  the  uni- 
versal depravity  of  mankind  on  the  strictest  principles  of 
equity  and  justice. 


222 

We  have  a  strange  propensity  to  think  that  God  caii 
do  any  thing;  and  that  he  is  under  no  moral  obhgation 
whatever  to  do  that  which  is  right.  We  think,  because 
there  is  none  greater  than  he  to  call  him  to  an  account, 
therefore  he  may  not  only  do  as  he  pleases,  but  also  please 
to  do  any  thing,  whether  right  or  wrong.  Although  we  do 
not  think  God  would  punish  the  innocent  yet  we  are 
sure  he  might  pardon  the  guilty:  not  considering  that  he 
IS  under  as  inviolable  obligations  from  the  rectitude  of 
his  own  nature,  on  moral  principles,  to  punish  the  guilty 
as  he  is  to  reward  the  righteous;  and  he  can  no  more  act 
contrary  to  justice  in  the  one  caee  than  he  can  in  the  other. 
God  coLiId  no  more  pardon  Adam  after  he  fell,  than  he 
could  punish  him  before  he  fell;  had  he  done  either,  he 
would  have  done  wrong;  he  would  have  acted  unjustly. 
But  it  is  said  (or  at  least  thought)  what  of  it?  Who  could 
punish  him?  Suppose  none.  Granting  that  almighty 
power  would  screen  him,  what  would  become  of  his  holi- 
ness, of  his  glory,  or  of  his  moral  excellence?  Would  a 
God  that  would  do  wrong,  that  would  do  unjustly,  be 
lovely?  Could  angels  love  him?  How  wicked  such  no- 
tions of  God !  yet  we  pretend  to  call  him  glorious,  and 
in  the  midst  of  our  ascriptions  of  glory,  we  feel  disposed 
to  think  he  might  do  the  most  inglorious  things.  God 
could  not  give  Adam  a  blessing,  after  he  fell,  but  on  the 
gospel  plan.  Every  blessing  was  forfeited  by  the  fall.  In 
such  a  case,  God  could  no  more  have  blessed  Adam,  than 
he  could  have  hurled  Gabriel  from  his  seat  in  glory;  and 
the  one  would  be  as  inglorious  in  God  as  the  other;  be- 
cause the  one  would  be  as  unjust  as  the  other.  But  the 
truth  is,  both  would  be  wrong,  wicked,  and  unjust.  But, 
blessed  be  God,  he  is  a  God  of  justice.  Therefore  Ga- 
briel must  keep  his  seat  in  glory,  and  fallen  Adam  must 
die ;  every  divine  manifestation,  or  communication  of 
moral  excellence  which  would  make  him  happy,  or  holy, 
was  forfeited,  and  must  be  withheld  from  him,  and  his 


223 

aeed  for  ever,  according  to  the  covenant.  Let  my  reader 
glance  his  tlioughts  through  the  bible,  and  he  will  find 
it  not  only  a  general  truth,  but  he  will  be  struck  with 
several  remarkable  instances  of  God's  withholding  his 
spiritual  influences  from  the  hearts  of  men;  and  the  only 
exceptions  are  those  who  are  interested  in  Christ,  and  arc 
favoured  with  divine  communications  in  conse(|uence  of 
the  atonement  of  the  cross.  Let  me  point  to  some  re- 
markable proofs  of  diis  doctrine.  Look  at  the  antedilu- 
vian world.  The  imagiaation  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart 
was  only  evil  continually;  that  is,  their  views  and  notions 
were  wrong  continually;  hence  the  whole  earth  was  cor- 
rupt, and  tilled  with  violence.  But  Noah  found  g^ace,  or 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  and  walked  with  God, 
and  was  a  just  man,  and  perfect  in  his  generation. 

Take  notice  of  Pharaoh,  and  you  will  have  a  striking 
instance  of  God's  withholding  light  from  his  mind,  even 
.in  the  midst  of  pointed  instruction.  This  is  called  hard- 
ening his  heart,  because  hardness  or  stubbornness  of  will 
is  the  necessary  effect  of  the  absence  of  good  motives; 
which  Pharaoh,  in  Adam,  had  forfeited,  and  the  presence 
of  motives  to  evil,  which  he  had  incurred. 

Take  a  general  view  of  the  whole  heathen  world.  With 
all  the  wisdom  and  learning  of  the  philosophers,  they 
were  mere  fools,  and  never  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  God.  I  am  a  great  friend  to  the  excellent  treatises 
of  heathen  morality,  abundantly  extant  in  the  world,  con- 
sidered as  a  proof,  and  display  of  the  natural  i)owers  of 
the  human  mind,  according  to  the  light  it  has.  But  to  set 
up  heathen  philosophers  as  competitors  with  Christ,  and 
his  apostles,  or  the  bible,  is  fulsome  arrogance,  and  ridi- 
culous nonsense.  It  is  true  we  very  justly  admire  many 
fine  strokes,  both  of  wit,  sense  and  morality  in  the  philo- 
sophy, both  of  Greece  and  Rome;  but,  alas!  how  little 
is  it  all,  and  how  little  has  it  all  done!  They  did  not  as 
much  as  know  the  first  lesson  in  true  divinity,  that  there 
is  but  one  God,  and  that  we  must  worship  him  only. 


224 

They  had  their  gods  by  thousands,  and  their  different 
ways,  by  thousands,  to  please  them.  And  by  the  by,  not 
one  of  their  gods,  nor  one  of  their  wa3'S  to  please,  or 
pacify  them,  would  stand  the  reason  of  a  ciiild  of  ten  years 
old,  who  had  carefully  read  the  bible.  Your  liitlc  son 
would  laugh  to  see  a  great  king,  and  a  wi^e  philosopher, 
falling  down  on  his  knees,  or  on  his  face,  to  worship  a 
bird,  a  bull,  a  he-goat,  or  a  cat,  or  even  onion  stalks. 
And  if  you  think  these  too  diminutive,  let  the  sun,  moon, 
the  stars,  the  carved  images  of  Diana,  Hercules,  Bacchus, 
the  Succoth-Benoth  of  Babylon,  or  any  of  the  idols  of 
Egypt,  Babylon,  Rome,  or  of  the  thirty  thousand  gods 
of  Greece  be  substituted  in  their  place,  still  he  would 
laugh.  But  what  would  he  say  were  he  to  see  a  company 
of  bacchanalians  worshipping  the  jocose  Bacchus,  very 
religiously,  with  a  drunken  frolic;  or  were  he  to  see  a 
company  of  the  worshippers  of  Succoth-Benoth,  very  de- 
voutly prostituting  their  daughters  to  strangers,  in  honour- 
to  the  divine  goddess,  what  would  he  say?  Would  he  say 
they  were  wise,  they  were  good,  that  they  needed  no  light 
to  influence  them  or  guide  them  to  that  which  is  right? 
Would  he  not  say  that  God,  truth  and  common  sense  had 
forsaken  them;  and  that  with  all  their  philosophy  they  were 
left  to  the  baleful  influence  of  Satan,  falsehood  and  delu- 
sion ?  It  is  truly  astonishing  that  the  advocates  for  natural 
religion  are  not  ashamed,  when  they  pretend  to  oppose 
the  philosophy  and  morality  of  the  heathens  to  the  religion 
of  Jesus.  The  apostle  Paul  had  a  just  view  of  what  na- 
ture, assisted  by  the  greatest  degree  of  learning  and  study, 
could  do;  and  that  it  could  do  nothing  to  make  the  world 
either  wise  or  good.  I  hope  my  reader  will  attend  carefully, 
at  a  leisure  moment,  to  what  he  says  in  1  Cor.  1.  18.  and 
downward,  and  chap.  2.  and  2  Cor.  4.  2,  3,  4.  Rom.  1. 
16.  to  the  end. 

But  farther:  what  has  the  light  of  heathen  philosophers 
done?  Has  it  restored  the  ruins  of  the  fall?  Has  it  brought 
mankind  back  to  holiness,  to  love  God  and  to  keep  his 


225 

commandments  ?  Has  it  produced  one  single  instance  oi' 
it?  Not  one.  When  the  apostles  went  out  among  them 
preaching  tlie  word,  they  found  them  all  without  hope,  and 
without  God  in  the  world  (Eph.  2.  12.);  it  never  so  much 
as  taught  them  to  know  God,  much  less  to  love  and  serve 
him  according  to  his  will. 

Moreover  that  you  may  have  clearer  views  of  the  aw- 
fully destitute  state  of  man  in  consequence  of  the  fall;  and 
also  that  infidels  may  see  their  folly  in  boasting  so  loudly 
of  natural  religion,  as  they  call  it,  in  preference  to  the 
bible;  wc  ought  to  consider  that  those  very  philosophers, 
who  have  done  so  much  honour  to  the  capacities  of  na- 
ture, borrowed  all  the  good  sense  they  either  had  or  wrote, 
from  men  inspired  and  the  bible;  at  least  this  is  so  much 
the  case,  and  so  notorious,  that  it  is  impossible  to  prove  it 
otherwise.  Every  expert  reader  knows  that  Egypt,  ChiU- 
dea,  Greece  and  Rome,  were  the  nurseries  which  produced 
the  most  of  the  lawgivers,  moralists  and  philosophers 
among  the  heathens  so  greatly  renowned  for  wisdom, 
sense  and  virtue,  especially  Greece  and  Rome.  Abrajiani 
sojourned  in  Egypt  (Gen.  12.);  Joseph  who  was  inspired 
by  God  was  sold  into  Egypt,  and  exalted  b.y  Pharaoh  td 
be  next  to  the  throne  in  dignity  and  authority.  Moses  also 
was  brought  up  in  the  royal  family,  who  not  only  had  a 
princely  education,  as  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter,  but 
also  was  instructed  by  his  parents  in  the  true  religion ;  and 
the  whole  family  of  the  patriarch  Jacob  dwelt  in  that  country- 
four  hundred  years.  The  bible  made  a  part  of  the  grand 
library  at  Alexandria,  long  before  our  Saviour's  time; 
where  the  Greeks  used  frequently  to  finish  their  edu- 
cation. 

Abraham  was  a  native  of  Chaldea,  and  after  he  was 
called  out  of  his  native  land  still  had  his  friends  in  that 
country;  Isaac  got  his  wife  from  that  country;  and  Jacob 
lived  there  with  Laban,  a  principal  man  of  that  place, 
twenty  vears.  There  the  Jews  were  in  captivity  seventy 

2F 


226 

years.  Daniel  was  a  man  of  high  authority.  Ezekiel  also. 
Nehcmiah,  Ezra,  Esther  and  Mordecai,  were  all  inhabitants 
of  that  country;  and  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  many  still 
remained,  and  consequently  the  bible  with  them. 

Cadmus,  who  was  the  first  who  instituted  learning  among 
the  Greeks,  was  a  Phenecian;  one  of  the  countries  of  the 
Canaanites  which  belonged  to  the  Jews,  bordering  upon  or 
among  the  parts  of  that  country  which  the  Israelites  really 
inhabited.  He  was  a  prince  and  fled  to  Greece  for  fear 
of  king  David,  and  no  doubt  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
Jewish  religion  and  the  Hebrew  bible.  It  is  also  very  evi- 
dent that  the  Greeks  were  very  conversant  with  the  Egyp- 
tians, and  got  much  of  their  education  and  knowledge 
among  them.  Pythagoras,  Solon,  Plato  and  several  others, 
their  most  renowned  philosophers  travelled  into  Egypt  to 
get  knowledge  and  wisdom. 

Philosophy  and  learning  did  not  begin  among  the  Ro- 
mans until  they  had  conquered  Greece;  and  it  must  be 
evident  that  at  that  time  thg  Hebrew  bible  was  well  known 
among  the  learned  part  of  the  world.  They  were  so  well 
acquainted  with  the  Jewish  religion  that  Horace,  their 
celebrated  poet,  very  well  knew  the  duties  of  the  Jewish 
sabbath  and  circumcision  (Lib.  1.  Sat.  9.).  If  those  learn- 
ed  men  had  not  been  acquainted  with  the  bible,  how  came 
it  to  jDass  that  so  many  of  their  sayings,  rules  and  songs 
are  little  else  than  manifest  quotations  from  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  altered  to  their  own  taste  ?  And  how  could  their 
celebrated  critic  instance  Moses  as  one  of  the  sublime 
writers? 

How  evident  it  is  that  the  best  of  the  laws  and  morals- 
of  the  heathens  came  by  inspiration;  and  what  remains  or 
at  least  what  is  contrary  to  the  bible  does  very  little 
honour  to  human  nature. 

But  if  we  look  among  the  Hottentots  in  Africa,  and  the 
eastern  parts  of  Tartary  or  the  islands  of  the  sea,  where 
the  bible  never  was,  or  among  the  numerous  tribes  of 


227 

Indians  in  America,  instead  of  boasting  what  nature  oan 
do,  we  must  be  struck  witli  an  awful  sense  of  the  dread- 
ful consequences  of  being  left  of  God  as  a  just  conse- 
quence of  our  fall.  ^ 

But  my  reader  will  not  1  hope  stop  here;  he  will  also 
consider  the  account  which  the  bible  gives  of  some  of 
those  who  have  enjo}  ed  the  light  of  revelation.  Here  he 
will  find  that  mere  doctrinal  knowledge,  taught  by  Jesus 
Christ  himself,  will  not  reform  the  corrupt  heart,  unless 
the  divine  light  of  truth  shines  into  the  understanding. 

What  an  astonishing  circumstance  is  the  state  and  fate 
of  the  Jewish  nation!  After  hearing  what  they  heard,  and 
seeing  what  they  saw,  no  one  would  have  expected  any 
such  thing.  But  the  reason  is,  God  gave  them  over  to 
blindness,  "  That  seeing  they  might  see  and  not  perceive, 
"  and  hearing  they  might  hear  and  not  understand."  And 
among  the  gentiles  where  the  gospel  was  preached, 
although  all  possible  plainness  and  honesty  were  used,  yet 
the  hearts  of  thousands  were  not  touched;  and  so  it  is  to 
this  day;  and  the  scriptural  reason  is,  "  If  our  gospel  be 
*'  hid  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost,  (left  in  their  lost  state). 
"  In  whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds 
"  of  them  who  believe  not." 

So  you  may  see  that  death  reigned  not  only  from  Adam 
to  Moses,  but  also  from  Moses  to  us,  and  will  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  and  to  eternity  over  all  those  who  are  not 
interested  in  the  covenant  of  grace.  All  which  establishes 
the  doctrine  I  have  been  endeavouring  to  vindicate. 


22H 

CHAPTER  Xr. 

Adam  expelled  out  of  Paradise. 

We  come  now  to  consider  Adam's  expulsion  out  of 
paradise.  After  God  found  him  guilty  and  under  the 
curse,  in  consequence  of  his  transgression,  instituted  sa- 
crifices and  clothed  them  with  the  skins  of  the  sacrificed 
animals,  he  cast  them  out  of  the  garden.  Gen.  3.  22. 
"  And  the  Lord  God  said — "  It  is  a  little  difficult  to  know 
whether  this  is  a  divine  soliloquy  or  a  consultation  of  the 
Trinity;  or  whether  it  was  addressed  to  the  holy  angels, 
inasmuch  as  they  were  to  be  employed  in  guarding  the 
way  of  the  tree  of  life.  However  this  was,  it  is  generally 
agreed  thai  whfet  he  said  was  by  way  of  irony.  The  first 
part  of  the  text,  I  think,  is  evidently  ironical.  "Behold 
*'  the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us,  to  know  good  and  evil.'' 
This  is  nothing  but  a  repetition  of  Satan's  explanation 
which  he  gave  to  Eve,  of  the  name  which  God  had  given 
to  the  tree  of  life,  when  he  appointed  it  as  the  criterion  to 
determine  Adam's  state,  to  be  cither  good  or  bad;  and  b)' 
which,  as  this  irony  plainly  shows.  Eve  was  deceived. 
The  meaning  is  simply  this,  behold  the  man  has  believed 
the  serpent's  deceitful  term,  which  he  gave  to  the  tree  of 
knowledge,  of  good  and  evil,  represented  to  him  by  his 
wife  who  being  deceived  first,  deceived  also  her  husband; 
he  has  eat  the  forbidden  fruit  under  the  false  expectation 
of  becoming  wise  as  gods,  to  know  every  thing  good  and 
bad.  This  ironical  expression  is  well  calculated  to  give  a 
striking  view  of  Adam's  folly  in  believing  such  a  glaring 
falsehood,  when  he  had  the  declaration  of  God  to  show 
him  the  danger  of  eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  But  it  was 
now  done,  and  he  was  now  liable  to  death.  *'  And  now  lest 
*'  he  put  forth  his  hand  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  life 
^'  and  eat  and  live  for  ever."  This  part  gf  the  text  is 


229 

tnout^nt  to  be  ironical  also.  Rut  I  cannot  think  so,  hiit 
that  it  is  giving  the  important  reason  why  he  drove  out 
the  man. 

I  have  already  observed  that  the  tree  in  the  midst  of 
the  garden  was  ap])ointccl  for  t\\'0  ends:  the  one  to  prove 
Adam's  obedience,  or  to  be  a  criterion  by  which  his  go3d 
or  bad  state  should  be  made  known;  the  other  to  be  a  seal 
or  test  of  his  having  fulfilled  his  part  of  the  covenant? 
which  was  to  take  effect  after  Adam  hud  continued  obe- 
dient  until  the  time  was  out,  uhich  was  stipulated  in  the 
covenant:  after  the  expiration  of  which  term,  he  would 
have  liberty  to  eat  of  that  tree  which  was  prohibited  as  a 
trial  of  his  obedience  during  the  term  specified.  But  when 
the  specified  term  would  be  out,  the  injunction,  would 
cease  of  course  according  to  the  covenant;  and  his  hav- 
ing liberty  by  the  covenant,  or  according  to  bargain, 
to  eat  it  would  be  a  test  or  seal  of  life.  The  language 
of  his  eating  of  the  tree,  which  before  had  been  for- 
bidden, but  now  permitted,  would  be,  you  shall  live  for 
ever,  according  to  the  covenant,  because  you  have  ful- 
filled your  contract;  and  God  on  his  part  is  under  cove- 
nant engagements  to  maintain  your  life,  and  standing  in 
holiness  and  happiness  for  ever;  and  this  is  the  seal  or 
test,  you  are  now  permitted  to  eat  of  this  tree,  from  which 
you  had  been  prohibited  as  a  test  of  your  part  of  the 
covenant,  which  you  have  now  fulfilled.  I  wish  my  reader 
to  remember  this. 

If  God  had  not  confirmed  Adam  at  the  expiration  of 
the  specified  term,  he  would  have  acted  contrary  to 
truth  and  faithfulness;  and  consequently  he  would  have 
done  wrong,  provided  Adam  had  stood.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  Adam  broke  covenant  it  would  have  been 
wrong  for  God  to  have  confirmed  him.  But  we  must 
remember  that  Adam's  eating  of  this  tree  by  God's 
approbation  was  the  covenant  test  of  his  confirmation. 
Consequently  it  would  have  been  wrong  for  God  to  have 


230 

permitted  Adam  to  eat  of  that  tree  after  he  had  fallen; 
because  he  had  forfeited  the  privilege  of  ever  eating  of  it 
as  a  test  of  his  life.  "  Therefore  the  Lord  God  sent  him 
*'  forth  from  the  garden  of  Eden."  It  is  evident  to  me 
that  this  must  be  the  sense  of  the  text;  for  there  is  no 
other  sense  that  we  can  possibly  put  on  it.  It  would  be 
childish  to  imagine  that  there  could  be  any  peculiar  vir- 
tue in  that  tree,  as  some  have  imagined,  that  would  have 
healed  Adam  of  his  wound,  had  he  got  the  privilege  of 
eating.  It  required  infinite  satisfaction  to  divine  justice, 
and  a  restoration  of  God's  moral  image  which  is  holiness 
to  do  that;  and  it  is  quite  preposterous  to  say  that  the  fruit 
of  a  tree  could  do  any  such  thing.  If  righteousness  could 
come  by  any  such  way  as  this,  Christ  would  have  died  in 
vain.  But  the  sense  is,  the  covenant  would  not  admit 
Adam  to  have  liberty  to  eat;  and  consequently  God  in  a 
consistency  with  the  covenant  could  not  give  him  the  privi- 
lege of  eating;  and  therefore  in  a  just  compliance  with  the 
requisitions  of  the  covenant,  "  he  drove  out  the  man." 

We  are  now  come  to  the  last  effect  or  consequence  of 
Adam's  fall,  Avhich  is  mentioned  in  Gen.  3.  24.  "  And  he 
"  placed  at  the  east  of  the  garden  of  Eden  cherubims  and 
"  a  flaming  sword,  which  turned  every  way,  to  keep  the 
'■'■  way  of  the  tree  of  life." 

This  is  a  farther  testimony  that  the  tree  of  life  in  the 
inidst  of  the  garden  was  by  the  covenant  appointed  to  be 
a  test  of  Adam's  confirmation.  When  God  would  give 
him  privilege  to  eat  of  it,  it  would  be  a  covenant  sign  that 
he  should  live  for  ever;  but  seeing  Adam  had  broken  the 
covenant,  he  had  forfeited  his  right;  and  God  could  not 
in  justice  have  given  a  test  or  seal  o£  everlasting  life  when 
he  had  incurred  the  curse  of  death.  Therefore  he  not 
only  drove  out  the  man,  but  also,  to  show  him  the  im- 
possibility of  his  ever  obtaining  life  by  that  broken  cove- 
nant he  placed  at  the  east  of  the  garden,  particularly  at 
the  place  where  Adam  went  forth,  cherubims  and  a  flam 


•231 

Ing-  sword,  to  i^uard  the  tree  appointed  to  be  the  test  oi 
etcjnal  life,  if  he  had  stood;  evidentlv  sliowing  him  that 
he  never  should  be  established  by  the  conditions  and  pro- 
mises of  that  covenant,  because  he  had  transgressed. 

As  to  the  cherubim s  and  the  flaming  sword  we  may 
observe  that  the  curious  fancy  of  the  learned  world  have 
given  us  many  opportunities  to  fix  upon  the  right  meaning. 
A  fiery  eruption.  A  burning  meteor.  A  mere  hierogly- 
phical  account  according  to  the  ancient  mode  of  writing. 
Some  think  that  the  garden  w  as  totally  consumed  by  fire; 
because  some  historians  say  that  the  soil  of  Babylonia, 
the  country  in  which  tlie  garden  was,  is  of  a  bituminous 
or  inflammatory  nature,  like  the  country  about  Sodom. 
But  all  this  is  mere  conjecture.  For  my  part,  I  see  no 
reason  why  we  should  not  understand  Moses  literally. 
Tlic  appearance  of  angels  on  almost  every  important 
occasion  has  been  a  very  common  thing.  The  provi- 
dence of  God  appears  from  scripture  to  be  conducted  by 
the  administration  of  angels  under  his  divine  direction,  and 
especially  his  dispensations  of  grace.  These  ministering 
spirits,  in  the  primitive  ages  of  the  world,  and  of  the 
church,  generally  assumed  a  visible  appearance,  both  to 
encourage,  protect  and  direct  God's  people,  and  also  to 
execute  his  judgments  on  his  enemies.  Thus  angels  ap 
peared  to  Abraham ;  to  Lot  in  Sodom ;  to  Jacob ;  to  the 
Israelites;  to  Balaam,  and  even  to  his  ass;  to  Elijah  and 
Elisha;  to  Elizabeth,  and  Mary  and  Joseph;  to  the  shep- 
herds and  many  others.  It  certainly  cannot  be  improbabk 
that  God  in  such  an  important  matter  as  this  should  place 
a  guard  of  angels  to  prevent  Adam  from  eating  of  the  tree 
of  life.  No  doubt  Adam  was  used  in  his  state  of  innocence 
to  the  appearance  and  conversation  of  angels.  Eve  seemed 
to  converse  familiarly  with  the  serpent,  as  if  it  was  no 
new  thing  to  converse  with  spirits  in  visible  forms;  and 
it  is  very  probable  she  had  no  knowledge  of  wicked  or 
fallen  spirits,  and  consequently  suspected  no  harm,  Minch 


232 

gave  Satan  a  great  advantage ;  and  her  owti  innocence 
perhaps  became  the  means  of  her  delusion.  But  the  an- 
gels placed  to  guard  the  entrance  to  the  garden  were 
clothed  with  terror;  they  were  armed  with  a  weapon  of 
war;  and  although  Adam  was  not  used  with  swords,  }  et 
the  appearance  was  unusual;  and  his  own  guilty  consci- 
ence would  quickly  cause  him  to  suspect  the  use  of  the 
deadly  weapon;  and  the  flaming  appearance  of  the  sword 
naturally  pointed  it  out  to  be  an  instrument  of  justice 
against  him  who  was  that  instant  cast  out  of  paradise, 
having  forfeited  his  right  to  happiness.  Upon  the  whole 
the  true  meaning  of  the  passage  is  this:  God  placed  at  the 
east  of  the  garden  a  guard  of  angels  with  an  angry,  flam- 
ing sword;  which  sword  was  brandished  in  every  direc- 
tion, or  which  guard  of  angels  manoeuvred  every  way  tc 
guard  every  entrance  to  the  tree  of  life;  to  cut  ofl"  all 
possible  hopes  of  obtaining  salvation  by  the  covenant  of 
works. 

This  would  indeed  have  been  a  dreadful  dispensation 
and  would  have  been  fatal  to  Adam  and  all  his  posterity 
had  not  God  given  the  promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woman 
to  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent.  But  this  wonderful  pro- 
mise being  given  to  direct  their  views  to  the  Messiah, 
his  casting  the  man  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  so 
awfully  guarding  the  tree  of  life,  shut  Adam  and  all  his 
posterity  up  to  the  faith;  and  the  law  becomes  our  school- 
master to  bring  us  to  Christ^that  we  may  be  saved  by  faith. 


233 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Tlie  covenant  of  redemption:  the  persons  stipulatuig;  the 
articles  and  the  name  qfit- 

God  ofliis  own  boundless  mercy  and  good  pleasure 
instituted  another  covenant,  the  grand  object  of  which  is 
to  glorify  the  riches  of  his  grace  in  the  salvation  of  lost 
sinners.  This  is  called  by  some  a  covenant  of  grace;  be- 
cause in  it  there  is  indeed  an  infinite  display  of  divine 
grace  and  mercy  to  sinners.  It  is  called  also  by  others  a 
covenant  of  redemption;  because  by  it  sinners  are  redeem- 
ed from  death  by  the  atonement  of  the  cross.  This  co^ 
venant,  to  view  it  in  its  full  extent,  was  betwixt  the  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  evidently  represented  in  scrip- 
ture as  a  mutual  agreement,  in  which  the  glorious  Tri- 
nity engage  d  in  the  eternal  counsels  of  heaven  to  redeem 
sinners  from  death  and  ruin  The  Father,  Son  and  Spirit 
eadh  engaged  to  perform  their  respective  parts  in  this  won- 
derful work. 

This  subject  is  so  awfully  sublime  and  so  infinitely  be- 
yond our  finite  conceptions,  that  our  ideas  are  necessarily 
confused,  and  our  language  can  scarcely  find  words  by 
which  we  can  express  ourselves  intelligibly.  God  not 
only  said  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  own  image,"  but 
also,  let  us  redeem  and  restore  man  to  our  image  again. 
(Isa.  6.  8.) 

Inasmuch  as  the  grand  preparatory  part  of  man's  re- 
demption was,  in  the  natural  order,  to  be  performed  be- 
fore the  divine  Spirit  could,  according  to  the  infinite  plan, 
proceed  to  his  work,  which  was  a  more  gradual  and  secret 
work  upon  the  heart;  and  as  the  Spirit  proceeded  in  con- 
sequence of  what  was  done  by  the  Father  ;'.nd  the  Son, 
and  as  his  work  Avas  to  apply  tlie  great  salvation  purchased 

2  G 


234 

by  the  Son  and  approved  by  the  Father.  The  two  first  per- 
sons are  in  scripture  generally  represented  as  the  princi- 
pal parties  in  the  covenant  and  the  principal  actors  in  the 
grand  scheme  of  redemption;  yet  the  Holy  Spirit  is  al- 
ways introduced  as  acting  an  infinitely  glorious  part  in 
the  covenant  of  grace;  and  although  in  the  scriptural  ac- 
count of  this  covenant  the  Spirit  is  seldom  represented 
either  as  the  person  speaking  or  the  person  spoken  to,  but 
as  the  person  spoken  of;  yet  he  is  always  spoken  of  as  a 
person  who  has  a  very  special  part  to  act  in  the  salvation 
of  sinners.    (John,  16.  7—15.  Isa.  42.  1.) 

The  Father  is  represented  in  scripture  as  the  great  and 
glorious  Majesty  of  heaven,  as  the  Fountain  of  deity,  infi- 
nitely offended  with  sin,  yet  determining  to  be  gracious 
and  merciful.  The  Son  as  Mediator  is  represented  as  an 
infinitely  divine  and  glorious  person,  acting  under  tlie 
special  appointment  and  authority  of  the  Father,  acqui- 
escing in  and  fulfilling  his  divine  pleasure.  And  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  represented  under  the  glorious  characters  of  the 
Comforter,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  of  God  and  of  Christ,  the 
seven  spirits  before  the  throne,  proceeding  from  the  Fa- 
ther and  the  Son,  and  the  principal  agent  in  applying  to 
sinners  the  benefits  of  this  wonderful  covenant. 

i.  The  Father  chose  or  elected  the  Son  to  be  the  sure- 
ty in  the  covenant,  on  the  validity  of  whose  suretyship 
the  whole  scheme  was  founded  from  first  to  last.  He  was 
consequently  the  first  elect  of  God  chosen  for  the  very 
purpose  of  redeeming  his  people.  "  Behold  my  servant 
"  whom  I  uphold,  mine  elect  in  whom  my  soul  delight- 
"  eth ;  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him;  he  shall  bring  forth 
"judgment  to  the  gentiles."  (Is.  42.  1.)  "  Chosen  and 
"precious"  (1  Pet.  2.  4,  6.).  "  Behold  I  lay  in  Zion  a 
"  chief  corner  stone,  elect,  precious,  and  he  that  belie  veth 
"  on  him  shall  not  be  confounded."  (Prov.  8.  22,  to  the 
end.  Is.  42.  6,7.  1  Pet.  1.  20.) 

Because  the  Son  ^vas  elected  as  the  suretv*  and  federal 


235 

head  of  his  ])coplc.  The  covenant  was  particularly  be- 
twixt the  Father  and  the  Son;  and  ihe  work  of"  liie  Spirit 
was  introduced  in  the  covenant  by  way  of  promises  and 
engagements  to  Christ  and  his  people.  Farther,  it  be- 
longed to  the  Father  to  choose  from  among-  ihc  I'allen 
race  of  Adam  whom  lie  saw  fit  according  to  the  coun- 
sel of  his  divine  will;  and  to  give  them  to  Christ  as 
liis  spiritual  seed.  To  intrust  their  salvation  in  his  hands, 
and  vest  him  with  all  necessary  offices,  power  and  au- 
thority to  carry  on  the  glorious  work.  To  promise  him 
all  necessary  support,  and  encouragement  in  the  arduous 
task,  and  at  last  to  accept  of  the  salisliiction  which  he  was 
to  make  equal  to  the  demand;*  of  infinite  justice  and  to 
insure  him  a  glorious  reward  for  his  sufferings.  (John,  6. 
39.  and  10.  29.  and  5.  26,  27.  Mat.  28.  18.  Is.  53.  10— 
12.  Psa.  110.) — Also  to  impute  the  righteousness  of 
Chrisi  lO  believers  and  justify  them  freely  for  his  sake, 
&c.  (Rom.  8.  33.  Is.  61.  10.  and  42,  21.) 

2.  The  Son  acceded  to  the  choice  of  the  Father,  and 
cheerfully  submitted  as  a  surety  lo  undergo  the  agony  and 
death  incurred  by  the  apostasy  of  his  people  whom  his 
Father  gave  him  to  redeem.  He  engaged  to  fulfil  the  law 
and  make  it  honourable  in  his  own  death  and  sufferings 
in  the  room  of  sinners;  to  undertake  the  whole  govern- 
ment and  direction  in  the  wonderful  plan;  to  make  the 
whole  universe  subservient  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
good  of  his  people.  He  consequently  engaged,  agreeably 
to  his  Father's  will,  to  assume  human  nature  in  the  ful- 
ness of  time,  to  be  born  of  the  virgin  Mary  as  the  seed 
of  the  Avoman,  to  submit  to  all  the  humiliating  circum- 
stances of  poverty,  human  frailty,  persecution  and  re- 
proach, to  be  a  pattern  and  example  of  humility  to  his 
people.  (Hcb.  10.  5—9.  Isa.  42.  21  and  9,6,  7.  Rom.  8. 
28,  to  the  end.  Heb.  10.  5.  Isa.  53.  3,  4.)  And  at  last 
to  submit  to  the  shameful  death  of  the  cross,  where  he 
made  atonement  for  the  sins  of  his  people  and  purchas.ed 


236 

every  blessing  for  the  elect  world.  (1  Pet.  1.  18,  19,  20. 
Act.  20.  28.  Eph.  1.  14.  1  Cor.  6.  19,  20.)  He  submitted 
to  give  his  life  away  and  to  take  il;  again.  He  was  also 
after  his  exaltation  to  make  continual  intercession  fo  -  his 
people.  (Heb.  7.  24,  25.)  He  was  to  have  the  cnre  rj\d 
management  of  their  whole  salvation.  (1  Pet,  5.  7.)  He 
will  raise  them  up  at  the  last  day  and  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness,  condemning  the  wicked  and  unbelievers. 
When  every  knee  shall  bow  to  him  and  every  tongue  con- 
fess to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,  then  shall  the  Son, 
the  glorious  surety,  take  his  people  to  himself  in  his  Fa- 
ther's kingdom  vvitli  songsof  everlasting  joy;  and  sorrow 
and  sighing  sholl  be  no  more.  (John,  5.  19 — 30.  Mat.  25. 
34_4L   isa.  35.  10.) 

3.  The  part  which  was  assigned  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
this  covenant  was  in  general  to  fulfil  the  engagements  and 
promises  made  to  Christ  and  his  people.  1.  To  uphold, 
strengthen  and  quicken  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To  pre- 
pare a  body  for  him.  (Luke,  1.  35.)  To  set  him  apart  to 
the  work  of  redemption.  (Mat.  3,  16.  Luke,  4.  1.)  To 
attend  him  through  all  his  temptations  and  ministrations. 
(Luke,  4.  1.  18,  19.  21.  John,  3.  34.  Isa.  11.  1—5.)  To 
support  him  in  his  sufferings  and  ngony.  (Heb.  9.  14.) 
To  raise  him  from  the  dead.  (1  Pet.  5.  18.  Rom.  8.  11.) 
And  finally  to  bear  witness  of  his  Messiahship  and  glory  as 
Mediator  after  his  ascension.  (John,  15.  26.  Acts,  5. 
31,  32.  Heb.  2.  4.)  2.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  also  to  fulfil 
rhany  precious  promises  in  the  covenant,  made  through 
Christ,  for  and  to  his  people.  To  bring  all  the  elect  to 
Christ.  (Ps.  110.  3.  Jqhn,  6.  37.  4i.  45  and  16.  7—11.) 
To  give  them  faith.  (Phill.  1.  29.  Col.  2.  12.  Eph.  2. 
8.  18.)  To  regenerate  them,  (2  Cor.  3.  17.  18.)  and  carry 
on  a  work  of  sanctification  in  their  hearts.  (1  Pet.  1.  2. 
John,  16.  11.)  To  give  them  comfort  and  joy,  to  witness 
their  adoption,  vo  seal  them  to  eternal  life,  to  be  an  ear- 
nest of  their  heavenly  inheritance^  and  to  direct  and  assist 


them  In  pra}er.  (Rom.  14.  17  and  15,  13  and  8,  15,  16, 
17.  Kph.  4.  30  and  1.  13,  14.  2  C>:r.  1.  22.  Rom.  8. 
26,  27.)  And  finally  to  raise  the  dead  liodies  of  believers 
from  llie  dead  that  they  may  be  made  com})letc  in  holi- 
ness and  glory.  (Rom.  8.  11.   Phiil.  3.  lA.) 

These  are  the  leading  particulars  contained  in  the  co- 
venant of  redemption.  It  was  made  in  the  infinite  coun- 
sels of  eternity  for  the  p^reat  and  glorious  ])urpose  of  ma- 
nifestino;  the  elorv  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  lost  sinners. 

In  speaking  f iriher  on  this  glorious  suijject  I  shall  ge- 
nerally speak  of  the  covenant  as  particularly  made  betwixt 
the  Father  and  the  Son.  I  conceive  this  to  be  proper,  be- 
cause as  I  have  already  said,  although  the  divine  Spirit  is 
by  no  means  to  be  set  aside  as  a  party,  he  having  such  a  glo- 
rious part  to  perform;  yet  his  uork  altogether  consistedin 
the  Father's  performing  his  engagements  to  Christ,  and 
in  Christ's  performing  his  to  his  people;  so  that  the  co- 
venant, although  it  was  a  mutual  engagement  betwixt  the 
three  persons,  each  to  perform  their  respective  parts,  yet 
was  established  betwixt  the  Father  and  the  Son.  Tin 
promises  were  made  by  the  Father  to  the  Son;  and  the 
Son  engaged  to  the  Father  to  perform  the  condition, 
which  properly  speaking  was  the  covenant;  and  on  this 
ground  the  Holy  Spirit  proceeded  to  his  important  work. 
This  is  evident  from  the  abo\'e  statement  \\hicli  I  have 
given.  We  have  three  things  to  consider.  1.  'i  he  name. 
2.  The  condition.  3.  The  moral  propriety  of  the  cove- 
nant. 

1.  The  name.  I  grant  it  is  of  no  great  consequence  as 
to  the  name  we  give  this  covenant;  but  it  is  better  to 
give  it  a  right  name  than  a  wrong  one.  The  bible  gives 
it  no  name.  There  are  three  particular  views  which  the 
scripture  gives  us  of  this  covenant;  and  the  name  might 
be  varied  according  to  each  particular  view.  If  we  >iew 
it  as  having  the  salration  of  sinners  as  its  object,  we  may 
call  it  a  covenant  of  grace\  If  we  uish  by  the  name  to 


238 

distinguish  it  from  the  first  covenant  we  ought  to  call  it 
a  co^'enant  of  mercy;  because  the  first  covenant  was  as 
properly  a  covenant  of  grace  as  this,  although  the  grace 
was  not  given  or  insured  on  the  same  conditions;  and 
Adam  had  no  more  to  do  in  order  to  live  than  believers 
have.  Adam  had  to  keep  from  eating  the  forbidden  fruit; 
and  his  life  and  the  life  of  his  posterity  for  ever  was  on  this 
simple  condition  most  graciously  insured  to  him,  as  I 
think  I  have  clearly  demonstrated;  so  that  that  covenant 
was  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  covenant  of  grace;  and 
the  proper  names  to  distinguish  this,  from  that,  would  be 
to  call  that  a  covenant  of  grace,  and  this  a  covenant  of 
mercy. 

But  if  we  view  it  as  it  subsisted  betwixt  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  and  both  to  fulfil  their  respective  engage- 
ments to  each  other  it  was  not  a  covenant  of  grace,  *be- 
cause  there  was  in  this  view  of  it  no  grace  in  it;  but  all 
was  merit,  and  that  on  the  strictest  principles  of  justice. 
Not  a  single  blessing  could  be  obtained  until  it  was  me- 
rited by  the  blood  of  the  cross.  This  consequently  was  a 
real  purchase;  and  as  grace  is  directly  the  opposite  of 
works,  merit  or  purchase,  it  must  certainly  be  a  very 
improper  name  for  this  covenant;  and  inasmuch  as  re- 
demption does  imply  the  paying  of  a  price  or  ransom, 
which  was  the  identical  condition  of  this  covenant,  under 
this  view  of  it,  which  indeed  is  the  proper  view,  I  must 
think  it  ought  to  be  called  the  covenant  of  redemption. 
This  is  the  only  covenant  that  we  know  of  that  God  ever 
made  which  did  require  works  as  a  condition;  and  it  is 
not  a  little  surprising  that  this  should  be  the  only  cove- 
nant that  some  call  the  covenant  of  grace,  even  the  very  co- 
venant which  had  no  grace  in  it.  But  when  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  covenants  whh  his  people,  as  I  shall  explain  in  its 
proper  place,  that  covenant  is  a  covenant  of  grace  indeed; 
because  rich  blessings  are  bestowed  without  merit  or 
works;as  a  condition  on  the  part  of  the  creature;  and  seeing 


239 

ihc  ciciiture  is  a  hell-dcscTving  sinner  it  would  still  be 
more  proper  to  call  it  a  covenant  of  mercy. 

But  I  make  no  doubt  wc  all  agree  as  to  the  nature  of 
the  covenant ;  and  if  so  1  will  not  contend  about  the  name, 
only  I  ask.  (and  give)  liberty  to  call  it  what  I  think  is 
right,  and  also  to  give  my  reasons  for  the  propriety  of  the 
name  I  give  it,  as  I  have  done. 


CHAPTER  Xlil. 

The  condition  of  the  covenant  of  redemption^  or  the  righte- 
ousness of  Christ. 

The  condition  of  the  covenant  of  redemption  is  the 
next  particular  about  which  we  are  now  to  inquire.  In 
this  important  condition  our  eternal  salvation  was  at 
stake ;  and  Jesus  Christ  the  second  person  in  the  Trinity 
engaged  to  his  Father  in  this  covenant  to  fulfil  it,  as  the 
glorious  Representative  and  Surety  of  his  people.  In  the 
perfect  performance,  or  fulfilment  of  this  condition  our 
redemption  consisted;  the  price  was  paid  which  divine 
justice  demanded;  and  consequently,  in  the  fulfilment  of 
this  condition  does  consist  that  righteousness  of  Christ 
which  is,  according  to  the  gospel,  imputed  to  believers ; 
by  which  righteousness  the  sinner  is  delivered  from  all 
his  guilt,  and  is  justified  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  entitled 
to  all  the  blessings  promised  by  the  Father  to  Christ,  and 
in  him  to  his  people  whom  he  represented.  His  people  in 
due  time,  and  on  proper  conditions  as  I  shall  by  and  by 
explain,  are  made  actually  partakers  of  the  blessings  of 
this  wonderful  covenant  in  consequence  of  the  fulfilment 
of  this  same  condition  in  the  person  of  their  glorious 
surety.  But  the  question  now  before  us  is,  what  is  this 
condition?  I  answer,  To  suffer  the  penalty  of  the  law. 
(Rom.  3.  24,  25.  and  5,  6.  8,  9,  10,  II.  2  Cor.  5.  21. 


240 

Gal.  2.  21.  and  3.  13,  14.  and  6.  14.  Phiil.  ±  S,  9.  Col. 
1.  14.  20,  21,  22.  and  2.  14,  15.  1  Thes.  5.  9,  10.  1 
Tim.  2.  6.  Hcb.  2.  9,  10.  14,  15.  and  9.  12.  14,  15.  to 
the  end,  and  10.  10.  12.  14.  19,  20,  21,  22,, and  13.  12, 
13.  1  Pet.  1.  18,  19.  and  2.  24.  and  3.  18.  1  John  1.  7. 
and  2.  2.  and  3.  16.  and  4.  10.  Rev.  1.  18.  and  5.  6.  9. 
12,  and  7.  14,  15.  John  3.  14.  15.  and  10,  11.  15.  17, 
18.  and  11.  50,  51.  and  12.  23,  24.  27.  31,  32,  33.  and 
16.  10.  and  17.  19.  compared  with  Heb.  10.  29.  "The 
blood  of  the  covenant  wherewith  he  \vas  sanctified." 
John  18.  11.  and  19.  11.  30.  37.  Mat.  20.  28.  and  22.  4. 
Is.  53.  5—12.  and  63.  1—3.  Act.  20.  28. 

I  have  here  quoted  about  forty  passages  of  scripture, 
to  prove  that  the  passive  obedience  of  Christ  was  the 
fuiiilment  of  the  condition  of  this  covenant;  and  conse- 
quendy  constiiules  the  i-ighteousness  which  is  imputed 
to  believers;  by  which  they  are  compieteiy  justified  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  entitled  to  all  the  blessings  of  the 
new  covenant.  Were  it  necessary  I  could,  and  were  it 
prvidcnt  1  wcuid,  quote  as  man}  more  on  the  subject. 
But  I  hope  the  reader  will  entertain  himself  at  some  lei- 
sure hour  in  examining  the  passages  I  have  quoted;  ancj 
I  would  recommend  it  to  an}-  person  to  take  notice  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  bible  on  this  subject;  and  perhaps  he 
will  find  that  neither  we  nor  our  father  Calvin  h;ive  stood 
upon  scripture  ground,  when  we  have  asserted  that  the 
ri^iiteouG,nt  ss  of  Christ  consists  in  his  active  and  passive 
ob':'dience;  or  that  he  fuifilltd  the  moral  law  in  its  precepts 
as  wed  as  penalty  in  our  room. 

I  have  for  sometime  past  attended  to  this  subject  with 
much  diffidence,  and  no  little  perplexity  and  surprise, 
and  also  with  a  conscientious  defciencc  to  the  sentiment 
of  the  oithodox  divhics.  But  I  cannot  leconcile  it  to  my 
feelings,  to  profess  a  doctrine  which  I  cannot  believe,  or 
believe  a  doctrine  when  I  can  see  no  foundation  for  it 
in  the  bible.  I  am  far  from  conceiving  it  to  be  a  dangerous 


241 

doctrine,  to  hclicvc  that  the  active  and  passive  obedience 
of  Christ  constitutes  his  righteousness  to  be  imputed  to 
sinners;  or  yet,  to  believe  that  this  righteousness  consists 
in  his  death  and  sufferings  only.  Neither  do  1  think  it  ;. 
mere  matter  of  indifference.  I  would  uisli  to  found  mv 
sentiments  in  such  an  interesting  matter  as  this  on  the 
word  of  God.  '*  In  vain  we  teach  for  doctrines  the  com- 
''  mandmcnts  of  men,"  and  wv  ought  to  have  a  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord"  in  the  only   meritorious  cause   of  our 
salvation.  It  w^ould  be  no  honour  to  our  glorious  Surety 
to  ascribe  to  him  any  thing  done  in  our  stead,  which  would 
be  cither  redundant,  unreasonable,  inip.ossible,  or  impro- 
per, and  especially  to  pro\e  it  upon  hini  b}  his  own  word, 
if  it  says  nothing  about  it.    These  considerations  make 
our  inquiries  into  this  matter,  of  more  serious  importance 
than  perhaps  at  first  siglit,  they  may  apjKar  to  be.  Although 
every  prudent  man  would  and  ought  to  pay  every  res- 
pect to  the  opinions  of  others,  which  he  could  consistent 
with  reason  and  propriety,  yet  it  \\  ould  be  too  great  a 
compliment  upon  any  man  or  even   upon   synods,  and 
councils  to  believe  a  doctrine  to  be  true  whicli  the}-  ne- 
ver have  proven  nor  can  prove  from  the  bible ;  although " 
there  is  no  subject  in  the  whole  word  of  God,  either  more 
particularly  or  frequently  treated  than  the  righteousness 
of  Christ,  as  the  grounds  of  our  justification,  in  the  sight 
of  God. 

In  arguing  on  this  point,  I  shall  offer  the  followmg 
things. 

1.  It  would  be  impossible  for  Christ  to  obey  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  moral  law  in  the  room  of  sinners.  He  could 
obey  it;  and  he  really  did  obey  it,  fully  and  completely; 
but  not  in  the  room  of  any  other  person  but  himself.  For 
this  is  the  only  way  in  which  he  could  possil)Iy  obey  the 
precepts  of  morality.  He  was  under  as  solemn  obliga- 
tions himself  to  keep  the  moral  law  as  any  of  his  crea- 
tures could  be:  and  when  he  came  to  the  cross,  he  had 

2H 


242 

and  could  have  no  more  righteousness  by  his  active  obe- 
dience than  was  necessary  for  his  own  justification  as  a 
moral  agent  or  an  intelligent  being,  on  whom  the  princi- 
ples of  morality  must  have  an  infinite  claim.  There  is  no 
such  thing  in  nature  as  any  intelligent  being  having  more 
righteousness  than  the  moral  law  requires  of  him,  as  to 
active  obedience.  I  have  fully  demonstrated  this  in  my 
treatise  on  the  moral  law.  There  are  two  kinds  of  obedi- 
ence, and  two  kinds  of  righteousness;  the  moral  law 
never  can  require  but  one  of  them  at  a  time,  in  order  to 
justification;  one  of  those  kinds  is  a  perfect  compliance 
with  its  precepts,  which  is  holiness;  the  other  is,  in  case 
of  failure,  suffering  the  punishment  due  to  justice.  Now 
this  last  can  be  done  for  another  by  an  innocent  person, 
because  he  being  innocent,  there  is  no  suffering  due  from 
him  to  the  law;  and  when  he  has  as  a  substitute  obeyed 
the  penal  demands  of  the  law,  he  being  righteous  himself,  he 
has  all  his  penal  righteousness  to  give  to  the  other  whom 
he  represented.  But  holiness  is  a  very  different  thing,  un- 
less you  can  find  a  substitute  who  need  not  be  holy;  or 
in  other  words,  who  has  liberty  or  a  right  to  be  a  sinner. 
I  do  deny  that  Christ  was  such  a  person.  And  if  you  say 
that  Christ  was  himself  the  lawgiver,  and  consequently 
was  above  law  and  not  subject  to  the  moral  law;  I  will 
refer  you  to  my  treatise  on  the  moral  law,  where  I  have 
demonstrated  that  that  idea  is  too  low  and  awfully  ab- 
surd to  be  admitted  by  either  a  good  philosopher  or 
divine;  and  we  ought  to  consider  that  the  bible  has  never 
taught  us  that  doctrine  (John  8.  46.  and  18.  23.  Heb.  7. 
26,  27,  28.) 

2.  That  must  be  a  wicked  and  unjust  law  which  would 
require  perfect  obedience  and  satisfaction  for  disobedience. 
I  never  read  of  such  a  law  even  among  the  Turks  much 
less  in  the  holy  bible ;  and  if  there  ever  was  such  a  most 
unreasonable  law,  no  such  case  could  ever  come  before 
it.   It  is  naturally  impossible  for  a  man  to  fuLfil  a  law  per- 


243 

Ifectly,  and  yet  be  lial)lc  to  punishment  for  transgrcssinj^  it; 
and  it  is  just  as  impossible  in  a  substitute,  or  iuretv,  as  it 
is  in  the  principal.  Admitting  that  it  was  a  possible  case 
for  actual  righteousness  to  be  imputed;  if  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  liad,  as  a  substitute,  fulfilled  the  moral  law,  I  ask, 
would  the  law  impute  that  perfect  active  righteousness 
to  the  sinner?  If  not,  it  would  be  injustice;  if  it  would, 
it  would  make  the  man  perfectly  innocent,  and  com- 
pletely righteous;  the  man  could  not  injustice  be  consi- 
dered as  guilty;  then  pray,  what  would  the  surety  suft'er 
for?  Justice  never  could  punish  without  guilt;  if  in  such 
a  case  the  surety  must  die,  he  must  die  by  the  hand  of 
an  unjust  tyrant.  Such  a  death  would  be  absolute  mur- 
der. There  have  been  unjust  punishments,  I  grant,  among 
imperfect  men ;  but  still  there  was  some  pretext.  Even 
the  chief  priests  and  Pilate  himself  pretended  great  jus- 
tice, and  innocence;  the  chief  priests  said  he  deserved  to 
die  because  he  was  a  blasphemer;  Pilate  acknowledged 
his  innocence,  but  washed  his  hands  and  only  permitted 
the  judgment  to  take  place  under  his  authority,  as  a 
Roman  go^•ernor,  after  the  chief  priests  had  taken  the 
blood  of  the  innocent  upon  their  own  heads  and  the  heads 
of  their  children.  But  this  case  is  a  positive  oddity;  for 
God  himself  is  introduced  as  acknowledging  perfect  in- 
nocence, and  yet  \\  ithout  any  pretext  demanding  satisfac- 
tion, when  the  law  was  perfectly  fulfilled  by  the  surety. 

8.  The  bible  abundantly  proves  that  satisfaction  was 
made  to  divine  justice  by  the  death  of  the  cross;  (see  the 
texts  I  have  quoted  above).  It  is  therefore  evident  that 
Christ  did  suffer  the  penalty  due  to  divine  justice.  This 
certainly,  if  it  proves  any  thing,  proves  that  the  law  was 
considered  as  broken ;  but  no  law  could  be  considered 
as  broken  when  it  was  jierfcctly  obeyed,  either  by  the 
principal  or  surety;  consequently  the  bible  proves  that 
Christ  did  not  fulfil  the  law  activelv  in  the  room  of  sin- 


iiers,  because  it  does  pro\  e  that  he  did  lullil  it  pasbivcly  h' 
their  room;  and  reason  and  justice  cannot  admit  of  both. 

4.  Why  should  it  be  said  that  perfect  justice  should 
demand  perfect  obedience,  both  to  precept  and  penalty  in 
this  case;  when  no  being,  as  far  as  we  know,  ever  has 
thought  of  such  a  thing  in  any  other  instance  whatsoever; 
and  I  will  venture  to  say  that  if  any  such  case  should 
occur,  every  one  would  view  it  as  wicked,  ridiculous  and 
unjust.  There  have  ten  thousand  similar  cases  taken 
place  in  our  common  courts  of  justice,  but  never  one 
instance  of  such  a  thing  required.  The  case  which  comes 
nearest  it,  is  when  a  man  swears  the  peace  against  his 
neighbour;  in  this  case  the  neighbour  has  to  give  a  surety 
for  his  good  behaviour.  But  does  the  surety  behave  well 
for  his  neighbour?  And  if  the  neighbour  trangresses,  is  the 
good  behaviour  of  the  surety  imputed  to  him?  No  cer- 
tainly: this  is  a  morally  impossible  case.  But  he  is  bound 
to  pay  the  penalty  to  make  good  the  damage;  and  this  is 
all  that  justice  could  demand  of  him.  If  after  he  would 
pay  the  penalty,  his  judge  would  require  a  series  of 
perfect  good  behaviour  too,  before  he  w^ould  acknowledge 
the  sufficiency  of  his  righteousness  and  suffer  the  prisoner 
to  go  free,  he  would  commit  himself  as  a  judge;  he  would 
be  laughed  at  as  a  fool;  he  would  be  despised  by  all  men 
for  his  tyranny  and  injustice.  Perfect  obedience  is  as  much 
as  the  law  can  require  in  the  first  instance.  In  case  of 
transgression,  adequate  suffering  is  all  it  can  require  in 
the  second.  Was  it  not  enough  for  the  sinner  to  die?  Or 
must  he  live  and  die  too  before  justice  is  satisfied?  And 
must  his  surety  perfectly  obey  the  precepts  of  the  law,  in 
order  that  by  the  imputation  of  that  perfect  righteousness, 
which  is  perfectly  up  to  what  the  law  in  justice  could 
possibly  demand,  the  sinner  might  be  perfectlv  righteous; 
then  after  he  had  made  him  perfectly  righteous,  must  he 
die  for  him  as  a.  sinner?  Such  ideas  are  too  hard  for  me;  I 
can  neither  see  them  nor  feel  them. 


24^ 

3.  Ill  tlic  treatise  on  the  condition  ol'  the  covenant  ot 
works,  I  ha\c  shown  the  imj)ropriety  of  the  moral  law's 
being  a  condition  of  a  covenant ;  and  we  have  no  authority 
from  the  bible  to  make  it  one,  either  of  the  covenant  of 
works  or  tlie  covenant  of  redemption.  Jesus  Christ 
kept  the  moral  law  perfectly;  so  he  did  the  ceremonial 
law,  and  also  tlie  civil  law;  Matt.  5.  17,  and  3.  15.  and 
1 7.  24,  25.  27.  but  not  as  a  condition  of  a  covenant,  but 
as  a  rule  of  life.  Here  1  observe  that  you  must  understand 
what  is  here  said,  as  to  his  actively  fulfilling  the  precepts 
of  the  law.  Mankind  never  was  bound  to  keep  the  moral 
law  as  a  covenant,  but  only  as  a  law  directing  to  duty  and 
forbidding  sin.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  be  governed 
by  it,  and  always  was  and  always  will  be;  and  ever} 
transgression  incurs  guilt,  and  exposes  the  sinner  to 
punishment.  Perfect  obedience  to  this  law,  as  a  rule  of 
life,  Avas  insured  to  Adam  in  paradise  by  covenant  as  long- 
as  he  kept  from  eating  the  forbidden  fruit;  and  would 
have  been  to  eternity  had  he  kept  the  covenant.  On  the 
very  same  principles  the  covenant  of  grace  insures  a  per- 
fect conformity  to  this  same  law,  only  on  the  condition  of 
faith,  as  I  shall  show  hereafter;  which  conformity  begins 
in  regeneration,  is  gradually  carried  on  by  sanctification, 
and  completed  in  glory.  All  this  is  evident  in  all  the  pro- 
mises of  the  gospel. 

Sinners  are  guilty  by  the  imputation  of  Adam's  first 
sin ;  which  involves  them  in  a  state  of  death,  and  under 
the  curse  of  the  broken  covenant.  To  this  guilt  they  add 
the  guilt  of  their  innumerable  actual  transgressions  of  the 
moral  hnv.  For  it  is  absurd  to  say  that  the  divine  law,  aft 
a  rule  of  perfect  righteousness,  should  lose  its  power, 
either  to  direct,  to  forbid,  to  justify  the  innocent  or  con- 
demn the  guilty. 

Now  from  this  statement  it  is  easy  to  see  what  the 
surety  in  the  covenant  of  redemption  had  to  do,  in  order 
to  fulfil  the  condition  of  the  covenant.  He  had  to  become 


^46 

guilty  by  the  imputation  of  the  guilt  of  his  people,  and  to 
die  in  their  room;  by  which  death  he  made  a  complete 
atonement,  and  for  ever  did  away  the  guilt  of  all  who  be- 
lieve in  him.  By  this  atonement  he  procured  a  perfect 
righteousness,  which  is  imputed  to  believers;  in  which 
they  become  completely  delivered  from  guilt;  and  con- 
sequently perfectly  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Here  the  active  obedience  of  Christ  is  said  to  be  neces- 
sary in  connexion  with  his  passive  obedience;  the  one  to 
remove  guilt,  the  other  to  render  the  sinner  righteous;  the 
one  to  redeem  from  hell,  the  other  to  entitle  to  heaven. 
But  I  think  I  have  sufficiently  shown  the  impropriety  of 
those  ideas.  We  must  remember  that  there  is  no  medium 
between  righteousness  and  guilt;  and  there  can  be  no  me- 
dium between  guilt  removed  or  atoned  for,  and  perfect 
righteousness.  Righteousness  in  a  sinner,  or  in  one  who 
had  been  a  sinner,  could  not  possibly  consist  in  actively 
fulfilling  the  law;  but  only  in  his  having  endured  the 
penalty  of  the  law.  It  is  actually  impossible  to  consider 
one  who  has  broken  the  law,  to  be  a  perfect  fulfiller  of  it, 
any  other  way  than  by  making  atonement  for  his  crimes. 
To  say  he  was  righteous  any  other  way  would  be  a  down- 
right falsehood. 

It  is  in  vain  to  pretend  to  make  a  difference  in  the  case, 
because  of  the  introduction  of  the  surety;  for  the  law  con- 
siders the  surety  in  the  very  same  case  as  the  sinner,  and 
cannot,  as  a  surety,  consider  him  any  other  way.  A  sin- 
ner's surety  is  legally  viewed  as  a  transgressor;  therefore 
the  prophet  Isaiah  saith  "  he  was  numbered  with  the 
"  transgressors;  and  he  bore  the  sins  of  many,  and  made 
"  intercession  for  the  transgressors."  It  was  consequently 
impossible  for  the  obedience  of  Christ,  if  his  obedience 
was  vicarious,  to  be  considered  as  perfect;  because  the 
law,  viewing  him  as  taking  the  sinner's  place,  considered 
him  as  having  already  broken  the  law  of  God;  and  there- 
fore could  accept  of  nothing  at  his  hand  but  death.  The 


^47 

dictates  of  justice  in  this  aw  liil  case  were  not  to  tamper  with 
the  requisitions  of'the  broken  law,  1))  the  obedience  of  one 
though  ever  so  perfect  in  himself,  and  for  himself,  who  was 
now  considered  as  a  legal  offender;  but  the  demand  was 
*'  Awake  O  sword  against  my  shepherd,  and  against  the 
"  man  who  is  my  fellow,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts!  Smite 
"  the  shepherd.  (Zee.  13.  7.)  He  who  spared  not  his  own 
"  son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all.  (Rom.  8.  32.)  For 
**  without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission." 
(Heb.  9.  22.) 

6.  If  justice  had  demanded  perfect  obedience  to  the 
preempts  of  the  law  after  it  was  broken,  it  would  for  ever 
have  prevented  our  redemption;  the  demand  never  could 
be  satisfied;  the  price  never  could  be  paid.  The  reason  a 
sinner  cannot  redeem  himself  b}^  suffering  the  penulty  of 
the  law  is,  because  he  is  not  able  to  bear  it  and  live.  But 
his  surety  being  stronger  than  he,  was  able  to  die  and  to 
take  his  life  again.  "  For  it  was  not  possible  for  death  to 
"  to  hold  him,"  (Act.  2.  24.)  The  sinner  could  therefore 
be  redeemed  on  this  footing.  But  if  the  law  required  active 
obedience  too  here,  it  would  introduce  a  condition  which 
would  be  impossible  for  the  sinner  to  perform;  not  merely 
because  he  was  too  weak  to  perform  it;  for  if  he  was  a  god 
he  could  no  more  do  it  then  than  he  can  now;  because  it 
is  an  impossible  case.  No  broken  law  can  be  perfectly 
obeyed,  neither  by  the  transgressor  nor  }  et  by  his  surety; 
for  this  simple  reason,  because  it  is  i^roken  already.  If 
therefore  Jesus  Christ  had  to  fulfil  the  law  by  perfectly 
obeying  its  precepts,  as  a  surety  for  the  sinner,  and  }  et  the 
law  obliged  to  view  him  as  a  sinner,  and  also  to  accept  of 
his  obedience  as  perfect,  he  certainly  would  have  failed ; 
he  could  not  do  a  thing  naturally  impossible  to  be  done; 
and  consequently  our  redemption  would  have  been  an  ab- 
solute impossibility. 


248 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  same  subject  continued. 

We  are  now  to  inquire  into  the  scriptural  account  of 
this  matter. 

Those  few  texts  brouglit  forward  to  prove  the  vica- 
rious active  obedience  of  Christ,  do  not  at  all  prove  the 
point.  When  this  point  of  divinity  is  discussed,  it  is 
very  evident  that  the  scripture  is  all  but  laid  aside,  and 
arguments  drawn  from  the  nature  of  the  case  are  chiefly 
relied  on  to  support  the  doctrine.  But  I  have  I  think, 
sufficiently  shown  the  absurdity  of  those  arguments;  so 
that  if  the  few  texts  which  are  generally  quoted  do  not 
establish  the  doctrine,  it  must  fall  of  course;  for  I  have 
demonstrated  that  reason  and  justice  do  oppose  and  con- 
tradict the  idea.  But  it  would  be  impossible  to  defend 
such  an  important  doctrine  as  this  would  be,  on  which  the 
one  half  of  our  salvation  depends,  without  scripture; 
therefore  some  texts  must  be  quoted,  let  them  prove  the 
point  or  not;  and  the  half  of  the  world  would  swallow  the 
chapter  and  verse,  and  pronounce  probatum  est,  let  the 
text  say  what  it  would.  But  a  good  proof  is  nothing  the 
worse  of  being  examined;  we  shall  therefore  attend  to 
the  proofs  adduced  on  this  subject. 

The  best  proof  brought  forward,  and  I  believe  the 
best  in  the  bible  is  Rom.  5.  19.  "  For  as  by  one  man's 
"disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obe- 
"  dience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous."  The 
whole  strength  of  this  proof  lies  in  the  word  obe- 
dience, as  opposed  to  disobedience.  The  word  disobe- 
dience means  whatever  Adam  did  in  breaking  the  cove- 
nant of  works,  and  that  was  eating  the  forbidden  fruit; 
the  word  obedience  must  mean  whatever  Christ  had  to 


249 

do  as  a  condition  of  the  covenant  ol"  redemption,  and 
what  that  was  is  the  very  question  betwixt  us;  but  let  it 
be  what  it  may,  it  is  exactly  what  Paul  meant  by  the 
word  obedience.  If  I  say  it  was  death  only,  J  bvg  the 
(juestion;   if  you  say  it  was  active  obedience  also,  }ou 
beg  the  question.   The  word  obedience  will  mean  either 
active  or  passiAc.  If  a  man  transgresses  the  law,  he  dis- 
obeys it;  and  when  he  refuses  to  submit  to  the  penal 
demands  of  that  law,  he  is  still  disobedient;  and  when  he 
is  dragged  to  justice,  the  law  takes  its  own  demands; 
but  when  the  culprit  comes  voluntarily,  confesses  guilt, 
and  submits  to  the  penal  demands  of  justice,  his  suffer- 
ings are  properly  obedience  to  the  law:  it  is  passive  obe- 
dience, it  is  true,   but   it  completely  satisfies  the  law; 
and   when   he   has   completely    borne   the    penalty   his 
obedience  is  a  perfect  obedience  to  that  law;  and  he  is 
consetjuently  perfectly  righteous,  because  he  has  done 
every,  thing  the  law  required.   Now  in  this  case,  he  not 
only  satisfies  the  law,  but  he  makes  it  honourable.  There 
can  be  no  circinnstance  in  which  a  law  can  be  honoured 
more  than  in  tlic  case  of  a  voluntary  obedience  to  its 
penal  demands;  not  that  the  h\\  in  itself  is  any  more  in- 
trinsicall}'  excellent  in  this  case,    than   in   the  case  of 
active  obedience;    but  the  sufl'ering  subject  more  evi- 
dently   honours   it    b\    a    voiimtary   submission   to   the 
j)enalty,  than  he  could  do  by  obeying  the  precept;  and 
that  especially  if  he  had  an  opportunity  of  escaping  the 
punishment.  A  person  can  have   and  alwa}  s  will  have 
many  selfish   motives   to  obedience,    but  he   never  can 
have  but  one  motive  to  induce  him  to  submit  to  the 
penalt}  ;  and  that  is  concentered  in  the  dignity  of  the  law 
itself;    and    consequently  every   excellence   of  the    law 
shines  conspicuously  to  all,  in  the  face  of  the  voluntarv 
sufferer.  'J'luis  it  is  certainly  demonstrated  that  voluntary 
suffering  is  the  verv  genuine  spirit  of  obedience.  So  we 
see  if  this  text  jiroves  anything  in  tlie  fjucstion.  it  proves 

2J^ 


250 

on  my  side;  it  is  evident  from  the  above  arguments  that 
vokmtary  suffering  is  one  thing  meant;  and  when  you 
argue  that  the  law  requires  active  obedience  also,  you 
lack  proof;  and  I  have  shown  that  }'our  statements  arc 
sophistical  and  false.  But  tlie  truth  is,  the  text  proves 
nothing  as  to  the  r|ucslion  in  debate;  for  it  only  says  obe- 
dience, and  leaves  us  to  decide  what  is  meant  by  the 
word,  whether  passive  obedience,  or  both  passive  and 
active;  and  this  is  the  main  question.  Therefore  my  op- 
ponent gains  nothing  by  this  text. 

Again,  Is.  42.  21.  is  quoted  as  a  proof  of  this  doctrine. 
"He  will  magnify  the  law,  and  make  it  honourable." 
The  strength  of  this  text  lies  in  the  words,  magnify  and 
honourable.  Here  we  must  ol^serve  that  the  h(jnour  of 
the  law  is  in  consequence  of  its  being  magnified.  But  the 
question  is,  will  it  not  completely  magnify  any  law  to 
fulfil  its  precepts  perfectly?  and  if  the  subject  transgres- 
ses, will  it  not  completely  honour  the  law,  for  him  vo- 
luntarily to  submit  to  the  penalty?  I  answer  affirmatively, 
in  both  cases.  I  ask  again,  does  it  require  both  to  mag- 
nify the  lavv^  in  case  of  transgression?  I  answer  no.  I 
argue  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  from  facts.  1.  It 
is  the  nature  of  law  in  its  demands  for  perfect  obedience 
to  look  from  the  present  time  forward;  in  its  acts  of  jus- 
tification in  case  of  perfect  obedience,  it  always  looks  back 
from  the  time  present  to  the  beginning;  in  its  penal  de- 
mands it  looks  neither  backward  nor  forward  but  stedfast- 
ly  at  the  transgression;  and  when  satisfaction  is  made  by 
suffering  the  penalty,  then  the  law  looks  forward  again 
for  perfect  obedience,  but  never  look  •  back  for  it.  The 
law  alwaj's  holds  the  surety  to  the  very  same  terms  that 
the  principal  has  to  fulfil.  The  surety  cannot  be  obliged 
to  do,  neither  can  he  do  what  is  legally  impossible  for 
the  principal  to  do  in  his  own  case.  Now,  no  person  in 
his  senses  can  question  the  truth  of  the  above  proposition. 
Now,  on  the  supposition  that  the  law  required  perfect 
obedience  of  Christ,  both  actively  and  passively,  then 


251 

I.  It  would  look  back  for  i;erfcct  obedience  after  it  was 
transgressed,  which  is  contniry  to  the  nature  of  law.  2. 
It  would  hold  the  surety  to  what  the  princii)al  was  not 
bound;  for  no  law  binds  a  sinner  to  perfect  obedience, 
and  to  bear  the  penalty  of  disobedience  too.  3.  It  would 
oblige  the  surety  to  do,  w  hat  was  legally  impossible  ibr 
the  principal  to  do.  Perfect  righteousness  consists  in  per- 
fect obedience  without  one  instance  of  disobedience;  but 
it  is  legally  impossible  for  a  sinner  perfectly  to  obey  the 
law,  because  he  has  disobeyed  it  already.  And  4.  To  crown 
the  whole,  in  this  case  the  law  would  oblige  the  surety  to 
do  what  he  could  not  do  as  a  surety.  Christ  could  and  did 
keep  the  law  for  hinii^elf;  but  as  a  surety  for  a  sinner  he 
could  not;  because  the  law  viewed  him  as  a  transgressor 
already;  and  no  obedience  he  could,  perform,  except  pas- 
sive obedience,  could  be  legally  perfect.  Therefore  it  can- 
not require  both  active  and  p^issive  obedience  to  magnify 
the  law  and  make  it  honourable. 

2.  I  argue  from  f^ctg  that  penal  obedience  will  and 
does  magnify  any  good  law;  and  both  together  do  really 
dishonour  it.  For  well  authenticated  facts  I  appeal  to  all 
the  judicatories  in  the  civilized  world;  no  one  ever  was 
known  to  demand  any  such  thing  as  perfect  rectitude  and 
punishment;  so  far  from  it  that  no  judge  has  dared  to  de- 
mand both.  And  every  one  knows  that  the  law  never  ap- 
pears  with  more  dignity  and  awful  glory  than  when  it 
arraigns  a  criminal,  and  pronounces  the  vindictive  sentence 
upon  him;  and  especially  doth  justice  appear  in  all  its 
inflexible  majesty  when  a  voluntaiy  surety  is  made  to 
smart  for  the  crimes  of  an  oflt  Jidcr  whom  he  represents. 

The  celebrated  king  of  the  Locrians  made  a  law  that 
adultery  should  be  punished  with  loss  of  both  the  eyes; 
not  long  after  the  law  was  made  his  own  son  was  convicted 
of  the  crime  prohibited.  The  king  to  save  his  son  from 
total  blindness,  and  also  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the 
law,  caused  one  of  his  ow  n  eyes  to  be  put  otit,  and  one  of 


252 

his  son's.  'J 'hat  king  did  more  real  honour  to  himself  and 
his  law,  than  his  son  could  have  done  by  preserving  his 
chastiiy  for  seventy  years.  What  infinite  glory  it  must 
give  to  God,  and  his  divine  law,  for  the  second  person 
in  the  blessed  Trinity  voluntarily  to  take  the  place  of  the 
sinner,  rather  than  the  sinner  should  he  lost;  when  divine 
justice  could  not  dispense  with  the  honour  of  the  broken 
law,  and  when  God  spared  not  his  own  Son  but  deliver- 
ed him  up  for  us  all.  O  reader!  words  are  poor  in  such  a 
case  as  this.  All  the  devils  in  hell,  or  all  the  angels  in 
heaven  could  not  show  so  much  of  God  or  his  holy  and 
just  law,  as  the  bloody  cross  of  our  crucified  Redeemer. 
What  could  the  law  ask  more?  Must  we  introduce  the 
absurd  idea  of  vicarious  ol^edience?  No:  if  the  text 
proves  any  thing,  it  proves  that  the  law  was  completely 
honoured  in  the  vicarious  sufferings  of  our  glorioub 
Surety,  who  died  that  sinners  might  live. 

Another  text  brought  forward  in  support  of  this  doc- 
trine is  Matt.  3.  15.  "  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
''  him,  suffer  it  to  be  so  now,  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to 
"  fulfil  all  righteousness."  John  the  Baptist  was  Christ's 
forerunner  sent  to  prepare  his  wa}'.  Jesus  according  to  the 
law  of  Moses,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  which  was  the  age  in 
which  the  priests  were  to  be  set  apart  to  the  sacred  office 
of  the  priesthood  (Num.  4.  3.  23.  30.)  came  to  John  at 
Jordan  to  be  consecrated  to  his  office  as  Mediator,  ac- 
cording to  the  Jewish  rite,  by  washing  with  water; 
(Exod.  40.  12—- 16.  Lev.  8.  5,  6—13.)  where  he  was 
also  consecrated  with  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  des- 
cending from  heaven  as  a  dove  and  resting  upon  him,  and 
a  proclamation  from  the  Father  in  heaven,  "  This  is  my 
"  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  John's  office 
was  not  only  to  prepare,  or  notify  the  people  of  the  com- 
ing of  Christ;  but  also  to  prepare  the  way  for  Christ  by 
making  his  paths  straight,  to  give  him  a  corr.ect  and  legal 
introduction  into  his  nublic  office  as  a  Mediator,  or  hisrh 


253 

priest,  according  to  the  Lcvitical  law.  Jesus  l)cing  of  xht 
tribe  of  Judah  could  not  be  consecrated  by  tlie  Leviiical 
high  priest,  (Heb.  7.  11  — 19.);  and  completely  to  disan- 
nul the  order  of  Aaron,  he  was  to  be  constituted  a  priest 
after  the  order  of  Melchisedec,  which  order  was  higher 
than  the  order  of  Aaron;  for  Levi  the  father  of  the  tribe 
of  Aaron  jiaid  tithes  to,  and  was  blessed  by  Melchisedec ; 
(Heb.  7.  6 — 10.)  John  was  therefore  sent  before,  with  a 
divine  commission  to  consecrate  a  high  priest  after  th( 
order  of  Melchisedec,  and  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  b} 
Avashing  with  water  at  the  proper  time  of  life,  (Luk.  3. 
23. )  according  to  the  Levitical  law  of  consecrating  the 
high  j)riest.  Thus  he  prepared  his  way,  and  made  liis  paths 
or  course  into  his  office  straight.  The  wa}s  which  would, 
without  this  extraordinary  mission  of  Jolin,  huve  been 
crooked  and  rough  or  disorder!}',  \\cre  made  to  consist 
with  the  orderly  consecration  of  the  priesthood  according 
to  the  ceremonial  law.  John  had  a  very  strong  notion  or 
view  of  Jesus  when  he  presented  himself  for  baptism, 
but  was  not  able  to  see  into  the  grand  design ;  and  feeling 
a  solemn  reverence  towards  the  glorious  Messiah,  the 
latchet  of  whose  shoes  he  was  not  worthy  to  stoop  down 
and  unloose,  forbade  him  saying,  *'  I  have  need  to  be 
"  washed  of  thee;  and  comest  thou  to  me"  to  be  washed? 
Christ  seems  as  if  he  admitted  the  truth  of  what  John 
said,  according  as  John  meant,  but  replies,  "  suffer  it  to 
''  be  so  now."  Then  gives  the  reason.  It  ijchooves  us, 
both  you  and  me,  to  go  according  to  legal  institutions. 
You  are  sent  with  this  special  commission  to  baptize; 
(John  1.  33.).  I  must  be  set  apart  to  my  public  oflicc  b}' 
washing,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses.  In  this  manner 
it  becomes  us  both  to  do  all  things  as  the  law  directs 
ihem  to  be  done.  John  perceiving  his  mistake,  and  uri- 
derstanding  the  solemn  design,  ])ioceeded  to  set  apart 
our  adorable  high  priest  to  his  s.icred  office  by  washing 
him  in  the  river  Jordan. 


254 

Therefore,  how  absurd  it  is  to  strain  this  text  to  prove 
the  active  obedience  of  Christ  to  the  moral  law,  in  the 
room  of  sinners,  Avhen  there  is  not  a  single  syllable  in 
or  about  it,  that  looks  any  thing  like  it.  It  is  truly  sur- 
prising if  the  bible  gives  to  my  opponents  no  better 
proof  than  this,  to  establish  the  one  half  of  the  grounds 
of  their  title  to  heaven.  *^ 

Another  proof  for  this  doctrine  is  quoted  from  Phil.  2. 
8.  "  And  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled 
■'  himself,  and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the 
"  death  of  the  cross."  The  best  translation,  I  think  would 
be  "  Even  to  death;  yea,  the  death  of  the  cross"  {p^ix^t 
^(xvuT:^  usque  ad  mortem,  B-oc^vocm  Si  '^ocv^a  mortem  vere 
Crucis.)  The  sense  I  take  to  be  this  (viz.):  The  obedi- 
ence of  Christ  was  truly  of  an  humbling  nature,  he  was 
obedient  even  to  the  penalty  of  the  law,  which  was 
death,  and  death  too  of  the  most  ignominious  kind; 
even  the  death  of  the  cross.  Then  the  apostle  goes 
on,  "  Therefore  hath  God  also  highly  exalted  him," 
&c.  My  opponents  put  their  meaning  to  this  text  in 
order   to   make    it   favour  their  sentiments   (viz):   that 

*  How  astonishin;^  it  is  that  the  baptists  can  found  their  doctrine  of 
immersion  and  adult  baptism  on  the  baptism  of  our  Saviour!  Do  they 
pretend  to  consecrate  all  their  members  to  be  high  priests  and  media- 
tors, after  the  order  of  Melchisedec ?  What  kind  of  reasoning  is  this? 
Because  Christ  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  was  set  apart  to  his 
incdiaiorial  office,  therefore  none  but  adults  must  be  baptized,  when  at 
the  same  time  Christ  never  pretended  to  be  baptized  by  the  christian 
baptism  at  all!  And  Ijecause  they  think  he  was  immersed,  they  must 
follow  him  in  the  water  and  out  of  the  water;  follow  him  where?  to 
the  priesthood?  in  his  compliance  with  the  rites  of  Moses  in  conse- 
crating the  high  priest?  Is  this  good  reasoning?  Can  we  believe  that 
Christ  set  us  an  example  to  follow  his  steps,  in  conforming  to  the  cere- 
monies of  the  Jewish  law?  If  the  baptists  must  prove  their  tenets,  let 
them  take  proper  texts  to  do  it,  if  they  can  find  any,  and  not  prostitute 
■  he  baptism  of  our  Saviour,  which  does  not  relate  to  the  baptism  under 
ihe  gospel  at  all,  but  to  the  consecrt.tion  of  the  Jewish  high  priest: 
and  was  the  way  in  which  he  Avas  legally  inaugurated. 


255 

Christ  as  a  surety  fulfilkd  tlic  whole  hiw  IVom  his  birth 
even  to  his  death  includinti;  his  active  and  passive  obe- 
dience. Now  that  Christ  did  fulfil  the  law  perfectly  in  all 
its  precepts  no  one  disputes;  but  that  he  did  it  vicari 
ously,  or  that  this  obedience  makes  a  part  of  the  justify- 
ing righteousness  imputed  tu  the  sinner  is  the  dispute;^ 
and  that  this  is  the  sense  of  tUc  above  text  needs  proof. 
If  my  opponent  asserts  his  sense  to  be  correct,  much 
more  may  1;  for  1  think  mine  is  the  most  natural  and 
elegant.  If  I  ask  him  lo  prove  his  sense  to  be  right,  it  he 
does  he  will  do  what  many  have  attempted  to  do;  but 
what  no  man  has  ever  yet  done.  If  he  asks  me  to  prove 
mine  to  be  right;  I  immediately  point  him  to  Heb.  2.  9. 
*'  But  we  see  Jesus,  who  was  made  a  little  lower  than  the 
"  angels,  for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned  with  glory 
"  and  honour."  Here  by  comparing  these  two  passages 
together  we  see  that  to  be  made  a  little  lower  than  the 
angels  is  the  same  as  to  be  found  in  fashion  as  a  man, 
and  to  humble  himself.  That  to  become  obedient  unto 
death,  means  the  suffering  of  deatli.  That  to  be  crowned 
with  glory  and  honour,  means  God'sj  highly  exalting  him 
and  giving  him  a  name  above  every  name,  &.c.  It  is  a 
little  remarkable  that  in  both  tfitts  there  is  a  striking 
repetition,  the  same  thing  expressed  in  stronger  terms. 
In  the  first  it  is  said,  "  Unto  death,  even  tlie  death  of 
"  the  cross,"  (see  my  explanation  ai)ove).  In  the  second 
it  is  said,  "  For  the  suffering  of  death — That  he  by  the 
"  gi'ace  of  God  should  taste  death  for  every  man."  It 
would  be  better  to  be  rendered  thus,  "•  For  he  b^'  the 
"  grace  of  God  tasted  death  for  all."  Tiie  sense  is,  God 
hath  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honour  because  he 
suffered  death;  not  only  so,  but  because  he  did  it  through 
his  own  divine  benevolence  and  grace,  and  in  a  vokinta- 
ry  compliance  with  the  will  of  his  Father  who  sent  him. 
Therefore,  if  this  text  proves  any  thing  decisive  in  tlie 
case  it  proves  for  me,  aud  not  for  my  opponent. 


256 

Again,  the  advocates  for  active  obedience  bring  for- 
ward Rom.  8.  3,  4.  "  For  what  the  law  could  not  do, 
"  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh,  God  sending  his 
''  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin  con- 
"  demned  sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the 
"  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,"  &:c. 

The  argument  lies  hejre  according  to  our  opponent. 
The  law  cannot  justify  because  we  are  too  weak  to  obey 
its  precepts.  This  no  person  disputes ;  for  it  is  impossible 
for  the  law  to  justify  a  sinner.  But  my  opponent  infers 
that  if  we  must  fulfil  the  precepts  of  the  law  to  enable  it 
to  justify  us,  Christ  had  to  do  the  same.  Now  this  infer- 
ence is  false  and  sophistical.  It  is  false  because  there  are 
two  ways  to  fulfil  the  law;  one  by  precept,  the  other  by 
penalty ;  and  it  never  yet  has  been  proven  that  the  law  re- 
quires both.  But  I  have  demonstrated  that  the  contrary 
is  true.  It  is  a  sophism  because  it  brings  forward  a  show 
of  argument  to  establish  a  falsehood;  and  the  CQnclusion 
does  not  follow  from  the  premises.  The  premises  are, 
1.  We  must  keep  the  law  before  it  can  justify  us;  2.  But 
we  have  broken  it;  Therefore  Christ  who  is  our  surety 
must  keep  it  for  us.  Now  this  conclusion  is  not  fair,  be- 
cause the  premises  doonot  prove  but  that  a  broken  law 
might  be  satisfied  by  enduring  the  penalty.  So  that  to 
draw  this  conclusion  is  so  far  from  a  fair  argument,  that 
it  is  merely  begging  the  question;  for  whether  a  broken 
law  demands  active  or  passive  obedience,  or  both,  is  the 
main  question  in  debate. 

But  Paul  without  any  sophistry,  tells  us  what  our 
surety  had  to  do.  "  He  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh;"  but 
how  ?  Now  the  answer  to  this  question  decides  the  point. 
The  text  says,  "  For  sin"  zin^l  ot,y,ot,^rlot,^  or  by  sin.  What 
is  the  sense  of  the  word  sin  in  this  place?  To  answer 
this,  we  appeal  to  2  Cor.  5.  21.  "He  hath  made  him  to 
"  be  sin  [xfA^ot^nxv)  for  us  who  knew  no  sin."  Here  the 
word  sin  is  evidently  used  to  mean  atonement  or  sacrifice 


257 

for  sin.  Rom.  6.  10.  "  In  that  he  died,  he  died  unto  sin 
once."  The  same  thing  is  evident  here  also,  Heb.  13.  11. 
"  For  the  bodies  of  those  l^casts  whose  blood  is  brought 
''  into  the  sanctuary  b}'  the  high  priest  for  sin  are  burnt," 
&c.  Sin  here  also  evidently  means  a  sacrifice ;  and  if  you 
read  the  12th  verse  you  will  see  that  it  immediately  had 
that  blood  in  view  which  was  the  sin  or  sacrifice  which 
Jesus  shed  on  the  cross  to  sanctify  the  people,  2  Kings 
12.  16. 

From  all  these  circumstances  I  think  it  is  pretty  evi- 
dent that  in  order  to  condemn  sin  in  the  flesh  Christ  had 
to  become  sin,  a  sacrifice  or  atonement,  which  is  nothing 
else  than  to  suflfer  the  penalty  of  the  law ;  at  any  rate  it 
is  abundantly  evident  that  it  is  far  from  proving  the  con- 
trarv;  and  our  opponents  are  far  from  proving  theii'  point 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Christ'' s  passive  obedience  the  fulfilment  of  the  condition  of 
the  covenant  of  redemption. 

I  CANNOT  conjecture  how  it  was  ever  thought  of,  let 
alone  believed,  that  the  active  and  passive  obedience  of 
Christ  was  necessary  to  fulfil  the  broken  law  of  God  in 
our  room.  But  it  has  been  believed  these  many  years; 
and  so  generally  believed  too,  that  with  the  exception  of 
very  few  comparatively  it  has  been  a  doctrine  accepted, 
nemine  contradicente. 

I  have  critically  and  candidly  examined  the  strongest 
proofs  I  can  find  in  the  bible  for  it,  and  that  I  have  ever 
read  or  heard  brought  forward  in  support  of  it;  and  I  can- 
didly think,  although  it  is  roundly  asserted,  generally  re- 
ceived and  strenously  maintained,  that  it  is  not  supported 
by  the  word  of  God;  neither  can  it  bear  a  critical  investi 
gation  on  the  principles  of  equity  and  justice.- 

2K 


] 


258 

Here  I  will  adsxrtise  my  reader  that  he  who  asserts  a 
positive  doctrine  is  under  obligations  to  the  pubHc  to 
establish  it  by  testimony;  but  he  who  asserts  a  negative 
doctrine  is  under  obligations  to  invalidate  proofs  and  ar- 
guments brought  against  him,  and  to  point  out  the  un- 
reasonableness of  the  thing  being,  which  he  denies;  but 
he  can  be  under  no  obligation  to  prove  his  point,  because 
he  has  nothing  to  prove.  But  although  the  onus  probandi 
is  not  mine,  yet  I  think  it  my  duty  to  direct  my  readers 
to  some  important  passages  of  scripture  on  this  subject. 

But  before  I  proceed  I  beg  my  readers  to  remember 
that  the  silence  of  scripture  on  this  point  is  and  must  be 
to  a  judicious  inquirer  a  sufficient  proof  of  the  matter, 
when  this  is  the  grand  subject  from  one  end  of  the  bible 
to  the  other,  and  consequently  frequently,  largely  and  mi- 
nutely discussed.  You  can  hardly  open  the  new  testament 
but  you  will  meet,  in  some  part  of  the  page,  some  account 
of  what  Christ  has  done  to  save  sinners;  and  often  you 
find  it  the  subject  of  whole  chapters  and  even  whole 
books;  witness  the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  Gallatians  and 
the  Hebrews,  where  the  doctrine  of  justification  through 
the  atonement  of  Christ  is  treated  with  the  greatest  accu- 
racy and  minutest  argumentation,  and  yet  not  a  word 
clearly  proving  the  necessity  or  propriety  of  Christ's  ac 
tive  obedience  hi  the  case. 

Is  it  a  truth  that  there  is  such  an  astonishing  silence  on 
this  particular  point?  that  the  conditions  of  the  covenant 
und  the  terms  of  a  sinner's  acceptance  with  God  are  stated 
;md  explained  over  and  over  times  without  number,  (so 
to  speak)  yet  nothing  about  Christ's  active  obedience  in 
the  room  of  sinners,  or  as  any  part  of  his  justifying  righte 
ousness  to  be  found  mentioned  either  by  types,  prophets. 
Christ  himself,  nor  any  of  his  apostles?  not  even  by  Paul 
himself  who  leaves  no  stone  unturned,  who  called  God  to 
witness  that  he  had  declared  the  whole  counsel  of  God? 
This  docirine  is  asserted  by  those  who  espouse  it  to  be 


259 

the  only  ground  of  our  acceptance  with  God  and  title  to 
heaven.  It  must  be  consequently  a  most  important  doc- 
trine. If  it  is  true,  why  docs  the  bible  keep  it  hid  from  us? 
Was  it  inconsistent  and  improper  for  God  to  reveal  to  us 
the  ground  of  our  title  to  heaven  ?  I  have  examined  the 
principal  texts  brought  forward  as  proofs  to  this  doctrine 
by  the  best  writers  on  the  subject;  but  nothing  is  said  in 
them  at  all  to  prove  it.  Such  an  omisoion  would  be  fatal 
and  very  unexpected  indeed  in  such  a  b(A)k  as  the  holy 
bible.  My  opponents  may  retain  their  sentiments  in  wel 
come;  but  they  need  not  expect  1  can  believe  it  to  be 
a  scriptural  doctrine  when  I  know  the  bible  does  not 
prove- it  true. 

It  is  in  vain  to  account  for  this  unaccountable  omission 
by  alleging  that  the  death,  blood,  cross,  Sec.  of  Christ  is 
always  mentioned  as  including  the  other  part  of  his  righte- 
ousness. We  could  easily  imderstand  it  and  admit  it  to 
be  so,  did  it  only  sometime^  occur;  but  when  it  is  always 
the  case  we  have  to  add  that  meaning,  without  any  autho- 
rity, which  is  really  making  too  free  with  the  \vord  of 
God.  We  have  no  right  to  construe  the  bible  so  as  to 
make  it  speak  according  to  our  mind  whether  it  will  or  not. 

I  have  quoted  a  number  of  texts  with  a  design  to  show 
my  reader  how  full  and  pointed  the  scriptures  are  on  the 
great  doctrine  of  atonement.  I  hope  my  reader  will  take 
the  trouble  to  examine  them  at  his  leisure;  and  at  pre- 
sent he  may  take  it  for  granted  that  there  is  not  one  out 
of  the  forty  passages  which  1  have  there  quoted  but  speaks 
pointedly  of  the  atonement  of  Christ  as  the  condition  of 
oQr  salvation.  I  could  very  easily  quote  till  my  reader 
w^ould  be  tired  of  quotations;  for  every  one  who  is  ac- 
quainted with  the  bil)le  knows  that  it  is  full  of  such  pas- 
sages  directly  on  this  subject,  although  our  opponents 
cannot  bring  forw^ard  one  to  prove  their  point  without 
straining  it  to  the  last  degree,  as  I  have  shown. 

I  will  now  examine  some  texts,  omitting  for  the  most 


260 

part  those  which  just  speak  of  the  atoiiemeht  of  Christy 
and  select  those  especially  which  give  us  the  idea  that  all 
Christ  had  to  do  to  procure  salvation  was  to  suffer  the 
penalty  of  the  law.  In  that  remarkable  prophecy  in  the 
53d  chapter  of  Isaiah  we  have  several  things  to  the  point: 
V.  5.  "  The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and 
"  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed,  v.  10.  Yet  it  pleased  the 
*''  Lord  to  bruise  him.  He  hath  put  him  to  grief.  When 
"thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see 
''  his  seed;  he  shall  prolong  his  days;  and  the  pleasure  of 
"  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hand.  He  shall  see  thii  tra- 
"  vail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied.  By  his  knowledge  shall 
"  my  righteous  servant  justify  many;  for  he  shall  bear  their 
"  iniquities,"  &c.  In  this  passage  this  doctrine  is  esta- 
blished. That  the  complete  fulfilment  of  the  promises  in 
the  covenant  made  to  Christ  by  the  Father  took  place  and 
shall  take  place  solely  in  consequence  of  Christ's  suffer- 
ing wounds,  bruises,  stripes,  cutting  off  (v.  8.)  grief, 
making  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  bearing  their  iniqui- 
ties, and  (v.  12.)  pouring  out  his  soul  unto  death;  all 
which  Peter  plainly  intimates  was  done  in  his  own  bod}' 
on  the  tree,  (1  Pet.  2.  22 — 25.)  which  is  a  paraphrase  oft 
this  very  passage.  The  promises  to  be  fulfilled  are  to  see 
his  seed,  prolong  his  days,  God's  pleasure  or  purpose  to 
prosper  or  to  be  fulfilled  in  his  hand  or  under  his  direc- 
tion, to  see  the  travail  of  his  soul  or  the  fruit  of  his  suf- 
ferings, to  be  satisfied,  to  justifj'  many  by  his  knowledge; 
or  he  Avisely  conducting  the  matters  of  his  kingdom, 
bringing  thousands  to  the  knovAdedge  and  acknowledg- 
ment of  him  by  faith  as  their  only  atonement  shall  be  the 
meritorious  cause  of  their  justification,  dividing  a  portion 
and  the  spoil  with  the  great  and  with  the  strong,  (v.  12.) 
It  is  evident  that  the  whole  salvation  of  the  church  of 
Christ  and  every  individual  in  it  is  comprised  in  these 
promises;  consequently  I  infer  that  the  Avhole  salvation 


261 

vif  sinners  is  in  consequence  of  Christ's  suffering  on  the 
accursed  tree,  bearing  our  sins  in  his  own  body. 

Rom.  3.  20.  "  Therefore  by  the  deeds  ot  the  law  there 
"shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight;  for  by  the  law 
"is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  By  the  deeds  of  the  law  is 
undoubtedly  meant  active  obedience  or  fulfilling  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  law.  The  reason  why  no  person  can  be  jus- 
tified by  active  obedience  is  because  by  the  law  is  the 
knowledge  of  sin;  that  is,  the  law  testifies  that  all  flesh  has 
broken  its  precepts.  The  law  does  not  except  the  flesh 
even  of  Christ  when  it  views  him  as  a  legal  surety;  nei- 
ther can  it;  for  the  law  could  not  possibly  accept  of  Christ 
as  a  surety  without  viewing  him  as  a  sinner;  therefore,  it 
must  be  granted,  it  cannot  be  got  over  that  Christ  could 
no  more  be  justified  as  our  surety  by  active  obedience 
than  we  could.  Consequently  (for  the  inference  is  inevi 
table)  the  active  obedience  of  Christ  was  not  vicarious  or 
the  law  must  condemn  it,  and  therefore  cannot  be  a  part 
of  his  imputed  righteousness. 

V.  21.  "But  now  the  righteousness  of  God  without 
"the  law  is  manifested."  The  righteousness  of  God  is 
undoubtedly  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  who  is  a  divine 
person  and  fulfilled  the  law  under  the  authority  of  his  Fa- 
ther. (John,  10.  18.)  This  is  abundantly  evident  from  v. 
25.  "  Whom  God  hath  set  forth,"  8vC.  This  text  proves, 
therefore,  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  "  without 
"the  law." 

This  is  an  elliptical  sentence;  for  it  is  impossible  for  any 
righteousness  to  be  whhout  the  law;  for  neither  righteous 
ncss  nor  sin  can  be  without  a  rule  of  rectitude;  (chap.  2. 
13.  and  5.  13.)  The  full  sentence  is,  "The  righteousness 
"  of  God  w  ithout  the  deeds  of  the  law,"  or  without  active 
obedience.  This  text  then  proves  that  the  righteousnesi, 
of  Christ  is  without  active  obedience.  It  must  be  withoiU 
either  his  active  obedience  or  ours;  but  it  cannot  mean 
ours;  for  we  have  no  hand  in  it;  for  it  is  the  righteousncs^ 


£62 

of  God,  of  Christ ;  and  consequently  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  without  his  fulfilling  the  precepts  of  the  law.  This 
important  idea  in  the  negative  lays  the  apostle  under  the 
necessity  of  pointing  out  the  positive ;  for  he  is  treating 
the  subject  systematically;  and  the  salvation  of  both  Jew 
and  Gentile  was  depending.  Therefore  he  proceeds  to 
point  out  particularly  in  what  this  righteousness  consists. 
And  as  in  V.  21.  he  had  said  negatively  that  it  did  not 
consist  in  his  active  obedience;  so  in  v.  24.  25.  he  says 
positively  that  it  does  consist  in  his  passive  obedience. 
'^  Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace  through  the  redemp- 
"  tton^  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  Whom  God  hath  set  forth 
'•'  to  be  a  propitiation  (or  atonement)  through  faith  in  his 
"  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remis- 
"  sion  of  sins  which  are  past  through  the  forbearance  of 
"God." 

Rom.  5.  10.  "  For  if  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were 
*'  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much  more, 
"  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life."  There 
are  some  who  think  the  life  here  spoken  of  is  the  active 
obedience  of  Christ;  but  the  generality  of  the  more  judi- 
cious understand  by  it  the  intercession  of  Christ.  And  it 
iscertainly  evident  that  his  living  intercession  is  what  the 
apostle  meant  by  the  life  of  Christ,  from  Heb.  7.  25.  The 
apostle  had  said  that  the  priests  under  the  law  were  not 
suffered  to  continue  by  reason  of  death;  but  that  Christ 
continuing  ever  had  an  unchangeable  priesthood.  "Where- 
-'  fore  (he  argues)  he  is  able  also  to  save  them  to  the  ut- 
■'  termost  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever 
'■'■  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them."  This  is  also 
evident  from  chap.  10.  12. 

This  being  proven,  I  proceed  to  observe  that  the  above 

;  text  proves  that  the  death  of  Christ  is  the  only  ground  of 

j  reconciliation;  and  that  reconciliation  is  the  ground  of 

salvation.  Now  how  unreasonable  must  it  .be  to  suppose 

that  the  apostle  could  mention  the  death  of  Christ,  and 


263 

the  life  of  Christ  after  his  resurrection  and  ascension,  and 
yet  not  the  active  obedience  of  Christ,  if  his  active  obc 
dience  is  one  special  part  of  the  grounds  of  our  justifica- 
tion. It  is  certain  that  this  text  makes  the  death  of  Christ 
the  ground  of  reconciliation  and  of  Christ's  intercession; 
and  it  is  certain  from  John  16.  7.  8.  that  an  application  of 
the  benefits  of  the  gospel  is  in  consequence  of  Christ's 
ascension  to  his  Father,  and  his  prevalent  intercession; 
that  the  Spirit  is  sent  to  abide  with  believers  in  conse- 
quence of  Christ's  intercession  is  also  very  evident  from 
John  14.  16.  '*  1  will  pray  the  Father  and  he  will  give  you 
•'  another  comforter,"  &c.  From  all  these  scriptures  it  is 
evident  that  the  whole  salvation  from  first  to  last  is  in 
consequence  of  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God.  Again, 

Gal.  6.  14.  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save  in  the 
*'  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  If  Christ's  active 
obedience  is  the  only  thing  which  entitled  Paul  to  lieaven 
and  happiness,  as  our  opponents  assert,  then  he  was  cer- 
tainly rash  and  quite  unguarded  and  indeed  very  wrong 
in  this  most  glorious  resolution.  Paul  certainly  ought  to 
glory  in  the  active  life  of  Christ,  as  well  as  in  the  cross  of 
Christ;  for  the  one  delivered  him  from  hell  and  the  other 
entitled  him  to  heaven.  He  therefore  certainly  neglected, 
or  forgot,  or  refused  to  acknowledge  the  full  half  of  his 
redemption;  and  consequently  missed  the  full  ground  of 
his  glorying.  And  it  is  in  vain  to  say  the  one  is  included 
in  or  understood  by  the  other;  for  inasmuch  as  that  never 
has  been  mentioned  in  the  bible,  it  lacks  proof. 

Heb.  9.  15.  "  For  this  cause."  For  what  cause?  Be' 
cause  the  blood  of  Christ  who  offered  himself  ^\  ithout 
spot  to  God,  purges  the  conscience  from  dead  \\orks  tu 
serve  the  living  God.  (v.  14.)  "  He  is  the  Mediator  of 
"the  new  testament"  (or  covenant. )' For  what  purpose 
was  he  appointed  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant!^ 
"  That  by  means  of  death  for  the  redemption  of  tlit 
•'  transgressions  under  the  first  testament,  for  covenant 


264,    ^ 

"  they  who  are  called  might  receive  the  promise  of  eter- 
"  nal  inheritance."  This  is  certainly  to  the  point. 

Five  things  are  proven  by  this  text.  1.  That  the  cove- 
nant of  redemption  was  founded  on  the  blood  of  Christ. 
2.  To  the  conditions  Christ  did  agree;  and  he  did  become 
the  Mediator  of  the  covenant.  3.  That  in  fulfilling  this 
condition  he  died.  4.  That  his  death  was  the  redemption 
of  transgressors.  And  5.  The  only  condition  on  which 
those  who  are  effectually  called  do  receive  the  promise  or 
title  to  eternal  glory.  Therefore 

Corol.  1.  It  is  not  true  that  the  active  obedience  of 
Christ  entitles  us  to  heaven ;  the  scripture  is  so  far  from 
proving  that  doctrine,  that  it  positively  asserts  the  con- 
trary. I'he  above  text  proves  that  the  promise  of  eternal 
inheritance  is  to  those  who  are  called  by  means  of  death 
for  a  redemption. 

Cor.  2.  It  also  proves  that  redemption  is  by  means  of 
death;  so  there  is  nothing  for  active  obedience  to  do  ii» 
point  of  suretiship  for  the  sinner,  or  as  to  his  title  to  every 
blessing  of  the  covenant. 

Cor.  3.  That  doctrine  is  consequently  not  only  unscrip- 
tural,  but  directly  contrary  to  scripture ;  because  it  asserts 
that  our  title  to  heaven,  or  the  promise  of  eternal  inheri- 
tance, is  through  Christ's  active  obedience;  whereas  Paul 
in  this  text  asserts  the  contrary,  even  that  it  is  by  means  of 
death.  Tliat  doctrine  is  therefore  false,  not  having  a ''  Thus 
"  saith  the  Lord"  to  support,  but  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord'" 
to  contradict  it. 


265 


CHAPTER  X\  1. 


Chrisfs  passive  obedience  the  meritorious  cause  of  om 
justification. 

It  is  acknowledged  by  all  and  proven  by  Lev.  16.  2 — 
23.  that  the  high  priest  went  into  the  most  holy  place  with 
the  blood  of  the  sin  oftering,  and  with  lire  off  the  altar  to 
burn  incense  in  the  most  holy  place,  to  make  atonement 
and  intercession  for  the  people.  It  is  also  acknowledged  that 
the  holy  place  was  a  type  of  hea\'en.  Paul  affums  that 
"  Christ  is  not  entered  into  the  holy  places  made  with 
"  hands  which  are  the  figures  of  the  true;  but  into  heaven 
"  itself,  now  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  u§." 
How  evident  it  is  from  all  this,  that  the  intercession  of 
the  high  priest  and  the  intercession  of  Christ,  is  and  was 
in  consequence  of  the  blood  of  atonement.  It  is  acknow- 
ledged by  all  that  the  intercession  of  Christ  secures  to 
believers  the  favour  of  God,  and  the  acceptance  of  their 
persons  and  all  their  services;  and  at  last  their  eternal  in- 
heritance in  glory.  Paul  makes  salvation  to  the  uttermost 
an  immediate  consequence  of,  and  secured  by  Christ's 
perpetual  intercession.  Heb.  7.  25.  "■  Wherefore  he  is 
"  able  also  to  save  to  the  uttermost,  &c.  seeing  he  ever 
"  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us:"  and  in  v.  24.  he 
makes  the  unchangeable  priesthood  of  Christ  the  ground 
of  his  intercession.  And  hi  chap.  9.  IJ,  12.  and  10.  12. 
he  makes  the  intercession  of  Christ  to  be  in  consequence 
of  his  having  offered  himself  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  It  is  ver\ 
remarkable  how  elegantly  the  apostle  describes  the  sole 
ground  of  the  triumphant  joy  and  perfect  security  of  the 
believer;  notwithstanding  every  possible  circumstance  or 
occurrence  whatever,  in  heaven,  cartJi  and  hell.  (Rom.  8. 
;V2 — 39.).  Now  take  notice  of  the  34th  verse,  where  wr 

2L 


266 

are  directed  to  the  whole  j^round  of  the  christian- s  triumph. 
1.  "  It  ib  Christ  that  died."  Here  now  is  the  radical  ground 
of  all.  2.  "  Yea  rather  that  is  risen  again."  Here  is  the  in- 
fallible testimony  of  the  validity  of  his  death.  3.  *'  Who 
"  is  even  at  the  right  hand  of  God."  '*  For  the  suffering 
"  of  death  crowned  with  glory  and  honour,  exalted  as  a 
*'  Prince  and  a  Saviour  to  give  repentance  to  Israel,  and 
''the  forgiveness  of  sins."  Entered  into  the  most  holy 
place  by  his  own  blood.  And  4.  "  Who  also  maketh  in- 
"  tercession  for  us."  To  trace  the  matter  back  from  the 
effect  to  the  cause  it  stands  thus:  1.  The  impossibility  of 
being  separated  from  God's  favour  or  the  love  of  Christ, 
or  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  2.  Christ's  interces- 
sion. 3.  At  the  right  hand  of  God.  4.  His  rising  again 
from  the  dead.  And  5.  The  death  of  Christ.  Thus  you 
see  that  the  death  of  Christ  is  the  meritorious  cause  of 
all;  his  resurrection  the  testimony  of  the  complete  efficacy 
of  his  death;  and  his  resurrection  and  exaltation  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  a  testimony  of  the^ull  approbation  of 
his  Father,  and  a  due  and  orderly  location  for  intercession; 
and  his  intercession  is  the  direct  efficient  cause  of  the 
whole  work  of  salvation;  but  the  only  merit,  or  prevalent 
ground  of  the  plea  of  Christ's  intercession,  which  obtains 
the  full  blessings  of  the  covenant  is  the  great  sacrifice  of 
the  cross. 

The  bible  asserts  these  things  too  plainly  and  too  often 
to  be  denied.  How  then  is  it  possible  for  us  to  assert  in 
the  very  face  of  scripture,  proving  and  asserting  again  and 
again  to  the  contrary,  that  it  is  the  active  obedience  of 
Christ  that  entitles  us  to  the  favour  of  God,  to  the  bless- 
ings of  sanctification,  and  to  the  glorious  inheritance  of 
heaven?  Does  Paul,  who  treats  the  subject  with  all  possi- 
ble logical  accuracy,  establish  our  title  to  heaven  or  our 
sanctification  on  the  deeds  of  the  law?  Or  does  he  talk  of 
Christ's  entering  into  the  most  holy  place,  in  consequence 
of  his  actively  obeying  the  precepts  of  the  law^  Does  he 


267 


not  assert  tlie  very  reverse,  that  it  was  by  his  suffering  tlie 
penalty  of  the  law  in  our  stead?  What  is  the  meaning  of 
the  words  sacrifieej  blood,  atonement,  offering,  suffering, 
death,  &c.?  What  is  to  be  understood  by  the  phrases,  the 
suffering  of  death,  through  death,  reconeiliation  for  sin, 
10  ofi"er  sacrifices,  Christ  being  come  a  high  priest,  thou 
art  a  priest,  such  an  high  priest,  not  by  the  blood  of  goats 
and  calves  but  by  his  own  blood,  eternal  redemption  for 
us,  blood  of  Christ,  offered  himself,  by  means  of  death, 
death  of  the  tesU\tor,  not  dedicated  without  blood,  blood  oi 
the  testament  or  covenant,  purged  with  blood,  without 
shedding  of  blood,  purified  with  bitter  sacrifices,  offer 
himself  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself,  Christ 
once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many,  offering  of  the  body 
of  Jesus  Christ  once  for  all,  offered  one  sacrifice,  by  one- 
offering  he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  ai-e  sancti- 
fied, consecrated  through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his  flesh, 
the  blood  of  sprinkling,  suffered  without  the  gate  to  sanc- 
tify the  people,  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  cove- 
nant? Do  these  words  and  phrases  mean  active  obedience?  . 
Are  we  to  conclude  from  them  that  Christ  fulfilled  thei 
precepts  of  the  law  as  a  surety  in  our  behalf?  Yet  these] 
are  the  very  words  and  phrases,  which  the  apostle  makes 
use  of,  in  explaining,  proving  and  establishing  the  ver) 
o-round  of  our  justification  and  complete  salvation.  What 
objection  could  the  apostle  have  against  mentioning  the 
active  obedience  of  Christ,  if  it  is  one  of  the  grand  pillars 
of  our  salvation?   But  seeing  he  has  carried  the  point 
without  it,  and  fixed  upon  the  passive  obedience  of  Christ, 
what  right  have  we  to  introduce  another  ground  of  salva- 
tion? To  introduce  this  additional  ground  of  justification 
would  certainly  weaken,  if  not  contradict  the  apostle's 
reasoning.  His  arguments  evidently  go  to  prove  that  the« 
atonement  of  Christ  was  perfectly  suflicient  to  perfect  our 
complete  salvation;  but  this  doctrine  positively  denies  it. 
and  says  that  ;ill  the  atonement  docs  is  to.  procure  out 


268 

pardon,  but  gives  us  no  right  or  title  to  acceptance  with 
God,  to  sanctification  or  heaven.  But  I  say  again,  "  in 
'*  vain  we  teach  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men." 
Should  we  not  be  afraid  to  interpolate  into  God's  cove- 
nant such  an  important  article  as  will  effectually  change  the 
very  condition  of  it?  Now  if  the  scriptures  have  not  made 
it  necessary  for  Christ  to  obey  the  precepts  of  the  law  as  a 
surety  for  us,  we  certainly  do  very  wrong  in  shifting  the 
grounds  of  God's  everlasting  covenlmt.  But  if  the  bible 
proves  the  entire  sufficiency  of  Christ's  passive  obedience 
we  cannot  possibly  be  justifiable  in  asserting  the  contrary. 
When  we  find  such  a  profound  silence  in  scripture  on 
this  particular,  before  we  presume  to  infer  it  from  dark 
hints,  by  far  fetched  constructions  and  inferences,  we 
ought  to  consider  vvhether  such  a  thing  as  active  and 
passive  obedience  is  possible,  reasonable  or  just;  lest  we 
thoughtlessly  introduce  the  bible  as  requiring,  that  which 
would  be  no  honour  for  God,  or  for  Christ,  to  attempt 
to  perform,  or  for  the  law  to  require. 

Again,  It  would  require  Christ  to  be  invested  with 
another  office,  to  fulfil  the  precepts  of  the  law  as  a  vicar 
in  our  stead.  The  scripture  is,  on  this  supposition,  defi- 
cient in  not  telling  us  what  this  office  is,  nor  yet  saying 
a  single  word  about  it.  Perhaps  this  argument  at  first 
sight  may  appear  sophistical,  or  rather  whimsical;  but 
let  us  consider  it  a  little,  and  perhaps  we  will  find  it  un- 
answerable. 

1.  He  could  not  do  it  as  a  prophet.  The  business  of  a 
prophet  is  to  teach,  or  instruct.  He  may  instruct  by  any 
means  possible.  Christ  instructs  by  his  Spirit,  word  and 
example.  Consequently  he  could  keep  the  precepts  of 
the  law  as  a  prophet,  to  set  an  example  before  his  people; 
and  the  bible  expressly  says  he  did  it  for  this  very  pur- 
pose. (1  Peter  2.  21,  22,  23.)  1  Cor.  11.  1.  "Be  ye' 
"  followers  of  me  even  as  I  am  of  Christ.  1  John  2.  6. 
"'■  He  that  saith  he  abideth  in  him,  ought  hims'elf  also  so  to 


269 

"  walk  even  as  he  walked.  John  IS.  15.  1  have  given 
"  you  an  example  that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to 
"you.  (Rom.  15.  5.)  Mat.  IG.  24.  Let  him  take  up  his 
"  cross  and  follow  me.  John  10.  4.  He  goeth  beiurc  and 
"  the  sheep  follow  him.  John  12.  If  any  man  serve  me, 
'Met  him  follow  me."  (Eph.  5.  1.  John  8.  12.)  But  it  is 
naturally  impossible  for  him  to  fulfil  the  law  as  a  surety, 
in  the  room  of  sinners  as  a  prophet,  because  the  business 
of  a  prophet  does  not  apply  to  such  a  thing. 

2.  He  could  not  do  it  as  a  priest.  The  office  of  a  priest  ^ 
isto  make  atonement  and  intercession.  But  the  fulfilling 
of  ihe  precepts  of  the  law,  is  the  direct  opposite  of  atone- 
ment; for  it  is  working  out  a  perfect  righteousness  bv 
the  deeds  of  the  law  for  the  express  purpose  of  justifica- 
tion without  sin;  and  consequently  the  design  of  it  is  to 
prevent  the  necessity  of  an  atonement.  If  Jesus  Christ 
had  an  office  to  fulfil  the  precepts  of  the  law  as  a  surety, 
the  complete  execution  of  that  office  would  completely 
nullify  his  priestly  office;  for  I  have  already  shown  that 
perfect  obedience,  and  atonement  for  sin,  are  incompa- 
tible with  each  other.  A  sacrifice  must  be  pure,  or  free 
from  sin.  Aaron  could  not  be  a  priest  but  on  the  prin 
ciple  of  first  purifying  himself  by  an  atonement  for  his 
own  sins;  then  he  could  offer  for  the  sins  of  the  people. 
(Lev.  16.  Heb.  7.  27.)  No  first  born  of  men  could  be 
offisred,  because  all  have  sinned;  therefore  God  directed 
the  Israelites  to  redeem  the  first  born  with  a  lamb.  (Exod. 
13.  2,  12,  13.)  He  claimed  the  first  born  of  every  thing 
as  his  own;  yet  he  ordered  the  lamb  to  be  sacrificed  in 
the  room  of  the  first  born  of  men.  God  appears  to  abhor 
the  thought  of  men  sacrificing  their  children,  no  doubt 
for  the  unnatural  iTuclty  of  it,  and  also  because  the 
children  being  in  a  state  of  sin,  such  a  sacrifice  could  not 
be  acceptable  to  the  Lord.  The  priest  was  to  be  purified 
with  sacrifices;  also  he  must  be  free  from  all  superfluity 
or  deficiency  in  his  bodily  part^.    fLcv.  21.    17 — 21.) 


270 

I'he  sacrilice  also  which  he  offered  to  thq  Lord  was  to 
be  without  blemish.  (Lev.  21.  18 — 22.)  All  this  typified 
the  spotless  purity  of  Christ,  both  inwardly  and  out- 
wardly, and  points  directly  to  Christ's  fulfilling  the  law 
for  himself  in  order  that  he  as  a  priest,  and  himself  as  au 
offering  might  be  fit  to  offer,  and  be  offered  as  a  sacrifice 
holy  and  acceptable  to  God  in  the  room  of  his  people. 

From  these  thiags  it  evidently  appears,  that  although 
the  office  of  a  priest  was  peculiarly  and  directly  to  make 
atonement,  yet  it  was  his  preparatory  duty  to  keep  him- 
self clean,  and  also  to  have  a  clean  offering;  and  reason 
and  propriety  dictate  the  excellence  of  those  rules.  From 
this,  therefore,  it  is  abundantly  evident  that  Jesus  Christ 
had  to  keep  the  law;  and  that  he  really  did  so,  not  only 
as  a  prophet  to  set  an  example  before  his  people,  but  also 
as  a  priest  to  fulfil  his  preparatory  duty,  to  fit  himself  for 
the  proper  execution  of  the  priest's  office,  that  he  might 
be  a  proper  atonement  for  the  sins  of  his  people,  and 
that  he  might  be  a  perfect  priest  to  offer  himself  a  sacri- 
fice to  God. 

Now  although  the  scripture  is  silent  as  to  Christ's  ac- 
tive obedience  as  a  part  of  our  justifying  righteousness, 
yet  it  is  so  far  from  being  silent  as  to  the  life  of  Christ, 
that  it  gives  us  a  special  account  of  it,  not  only  that  he 
lived  holy,  but  also  the  end  which  was  gained.  We  have 
seen  already  how  pointed  the  account  is,  as  to  the  ex- 
ample of  Christ;  we  have  also  observed  the  meaning  of 
the  typical  unblemished  state  of  the  priests  and  sacrifices 
under  the  law;  and  we  also  have  it  particularly  stated  in 
the  new  testament  that  Christ  was  the  complete  anti- 
type of  all  these  things. 

Jesus  expressly  says,  "  I  came  not  to  destroy  the  law, 
"  but  to  fulfil."  No  doubt  the  moral  law  was  particularly 
meant  as  well  as  the  ceremonial  law,  and  seeing  both  are 
positively  proven  in  scripture,  it  is  proper  to  understand 
it  both  actively  and  passively.  The  whole  life  of  Christ, 
as  related  by  the  evangelists  was  a  life  of  spotless  holi- 


271 

ness,  so  that  when  he  came  to  the  cross,  he  came  as  a 
lamb  without  blemish  and  without  spot.  And  although 
God  would  not  accept  of  any  of  the  first  born  of  men  as 
a  sacrifice,  they  being  born  in  sin,  yet  he  accepted  l.is 
only  begotten  Son,   born  of  a  virgin,  "  that  holy  thing 
•'  which  shall  be  bom  of  thee,  shall  be  called  the  Son  of 
**  God."  Thus  according  to  the  correct  account  of  the 
bible,  we  find  that  our  blessed  Saviour  beWrg-  the  seed  of 
the  woman,  and  not  the  natural  seed  of  Adam,  was  bom 
without  the  limits  of  the  covenant  of  works,  and  conse- 
quently without  guilt  and  sin.  Living  his  whole  life  in 
perfect  obedience  to  the  moral  law,  he  becam.e  a  suitable; 
and  proper  high  priest  for  us,  and  a  fit  and  proper  sacri-  j 
fice  to  be  offered  without  spot  to  God;  he  being  both  the  | 
priest  and  the  sacrifice. 

The  apostle  Paul  certainly  takes  notice  of  this  impor- 
tant circumstance  in  Heb.  9.  14.  ''  Who  (Christ)  through 
"  the  eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God." 
He  must  certainly  mean  the   spotless  purity  of  Christ, 
as  a  sacrifice  without  blemish.  Also  chap.   7.   26,  27. 
"  For  such  an  high  priest  became  us,  who  is  hoh  ,  hurm- 
**  less,  undefiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made  higher 
■<  than  the  heavens.  Who  needcthnot  daily,  as  those  high 
<*  priests  to  offer  up  sacrifice  first  for  his  own  sins,  and 
"  then  for  the  people's."  This  is  surely  to  the  point.  He 
was  inwardly  holy,  outwardly  harmless;  and  consequentl}- 
he  was  undefiled;  he  was  without  blemish;  and,  as  the 
priest  and  the  sacrifice  under  the  law  were  to  keep  separate 
from,  and  not  to  touch  any  thing  unclean,  so  alluding  to 
this  circumstance  he  is  said  to  be  separate  from  sinners, 
viz.  in  his  state  and  character  separate  from  or  a  contrast 
to  sinners,  not  touching  any  thing  morally  unclean.  My 
opponent  acknowledges  the  perfect  holiness  of  Christ  in 
all  this;  but  says  that  it  was  to  fulfil  the  law  in  our  room; 
but  he  must  remember  that  this  lacks  proof,  (as  I  have"; 
sjipwn)  and  that  I  have  demonstrated  this  to  be  unjust' 


272 

and  legally  impossible.  Also  in  addition  to  what  1  liave 
said  the  apostle  here,  where  he  is  treating  the  subject,  does 
not  say  a  word  about  his  perfect  life  being  meritorious 
as  a  vicarious  righteousness,  but  only  to  make  him  a  suit- 
able priest,  and  his  atonement  to  be  for  us  and  not  for 
himself,  "Who  needed  not  as  other  high  priests  to  offer 
"  up  sacrifices  first  for  his  own  sins  and  then  for  the  peo- 
*' pie's."  So  that  it  is  certainly  plain  that  Christ's  active 
obedience  was  to  prepare  him  to  be  a  suitable  atonement 
for  us;  and  that  it  is  his  atonemgnt  onl^^  that  is  imputed 
to  us  for  justification.  If  Christ  had  not  kept  the  moral 
law  perfectly  he  would  have  had  to  make  atonement  like 
Aaron,  first  for  himself  and  then  for  the  people;  but  he 
could  not  have  borrowed  righteousness,  like  Aaron  did, 
from  another  to  purify  himself;  he  would  have  had  to 
shed  his  own  blood  to  fit  himself  to  shed  blood  for  his 
people.  But  the  apostle  says  he  needed  no  such  thing, 
because  he  was  holy,  harmless,  &c.  Besides,  if  the  typi- 
cal blood  without  any  active  righteousness  did  give  Aaron 
acceptance  before  God,  which  it  certainly  did,  why  can- 
not the  antitypical  blood,  even  the  blood  of  Christ,  to 
which  Aaron  looked  through  the  blood  of  the  bullock, 
render  those  acceptable  to  whom  it  is  applied,  even  with- 
out active  obedience?  If  not,  then  this  blasphemous  con- 
clusion must  be  drawn,  viz.  the  blood  of  the  type  was 
greater  than  the  antitype. 

Again,  v.  28.  "  The  lawmaketh  men  high  priests  who 
"  have  infirmity;  but  the  word  of  the  oath  which  was  (re- 
*'vealed)  since  the  law  (to  David,  Palsm  110.  4.  long 
"after  the  priesthood  was  established  in  Aaron)  maketh 
**  the  Son  (an  high  priest)  who  is  consecrated  for  ever," 
TSTgAsiw^eOov,  completed,  perfected,  finally  declared  righte- 
ous or  holy;  who  needed  not  to  offer  for  his  own  sin,  be- 
cause he  was  without  spot  or  blemish,  being  consecrated 
or  made  holy  by  his  miraculous  birth  and  active  obedi- 
ence. 


1^73 
Thus  wc  sec  that  Christ  could  as  u  piophcL  ruUil  ihc 
law,  and  also  at  the  same  time  luHil  it  in  the  prerequisite 
duties  of  a  priest;  i3Ut  he  could  not  fulfil  it  either  as  a 
prophet  or  a  priest  in  our  room,  as  our  surety  for  the  per- 
fect fulfilment  of  the  law ;  and  as  I  have  already  observed, 
had  he  another  office  by  which  he  could  go  our  security 
to  his  Father  for  the  perfect  fulfilment  of  the  law  for  our 
righteousness,  he  must  lay  aside  his  priestly  oificc   be- 
cause the  two  would  clash  and  oix-rate  dlicctl)  against 
each  other.  Perfect  ol)edicncc  must  for  ever  render  atone- 
ment unnecessary;  and  in  that  case  Christ  must  appear 
lit  the  rig-lit  hand' of  God  as  a  counsel,  not  as  a  priest;  he 
must  hide  his  wounds  and  plead  not  guilty.   He  must  put 
oft' the  purple  robe  and  put  on  the  white  robe  of  spotless 
innocence;  he  must  obtain  liberty  to  the  captive,  not  be- 
cause he  had  paid  the  debt,  but  because  no  action  lies  in 
consequence  of  perfect  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  the 
law.  I  grant  that  this,  to  speak  after  the  manner  of  men, 
would  have  been  infinitely  easier  for  Christ  to  do;  for  it 
would  have   been    infinitely  agreeable  and  even  as  his 
meat  and  drink  to  keep  the  moral  law;  but  it  made  him 
sweat,  and  groan,  and  bleed,  and  die,  to  make  the  atone- 
ment; and  i  cannot  conceive  that  infinite  wisdom  would 
,«hoose  the  bitter  instead  of  the  sweet.  But  the  evident 
truth  is  justice  left  no  alternative;  for  blood  it  must  have; 
^Heb.  9.  22.)  and  hence  the  bloody  cross  is  the  only  ran- 


som. 


»»»•  rT<i    • 

Lastly  he  could  not  fulfil  the  law  as  a  king,  i  his  is  so 
evident  that  I  will  not  say  a  word  more  about  it.  It  would 
certainly  be  imposing  too  much  on  the  common  sense  ol 
my  reader  to  pretend  to  demonstrate  that  a  king,  acting 
as  a  king,  could  fulfil  the  law  as  a  surety  for  his  subjects. 

I  shall  off'er  but  one  proof  more.  (Heb.  10.  ^^  10.) 
"  Then  said  I,  lo  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God."  This 
is  a  quotation  from  Psal.  40.  7,  8.  Paul  applies  it  to  Christ 
consenting  to  die  covenant  of  redemption;  in  Nvlnr]>  thy 

2  M 


274 

word  ivill  is  taken  notice  of  by  the  apostie  as  expressive 
of  the  conditions  of  the  covenant  which  Christ  cheeriully 
undertook  to  perform ;  and  by  the  performance  of  which 
will  or  condition  he  procured  a  title  to  all  the  blessings  of 
the  covenant  for  his  people.  He  comprises  the  blessings" 
of  the  covenant  in  the  word  sanctified;  because  the  grand 
design  of  the  covenant  was  to  restore  the  moral  image  of 
God,  which  we  lost  in  the  first  covenant,  which  consists  in 
holiness;  and  this  lost  image  is  restored  by  sanctification; 
aird  every  thing  necessary  to  it,  and  a  consequence  of  it 
is  comprised  in  this  one  word.  (Rom.  8.  30.  1  Pet.  1.  2 — 5. 
Heb.  12.  14.)  But  the  whole  depends  on  what  Christ  did 
in  doing  his  Father*s  will;  this  the  apostle  says  was  the 
ofl'ering  of  his  body  once  for  his  people.  "  By  the  which 
"  will  (says  he)  we  are  sanctified  through  the  offering  of 
"  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once."  I  think  there  can  be  no 
evasion  here.  Can  my  opponents  force  in  the  active  obe- 
dience of  Christ  here,  in  spite  of  the  positive  declaration 
of  Paul,  making  the  atonement  the  only  thing,  and  argu- 
ing both  the  propriety  and  sufficiency  of  it? 

I  acknowledge  that  it  is  a  very  common  thing  both  in 
speaking  and  writing  to  mention  one  particular  part  of  a 
circumstance,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  as  including  the 
whole;  and  sometimes  the  \7hole  is  taken  for  a  parr.  (John, 
12.  19.  Rom.  13.  10.)  Thus  faith  is  elegantly  taken  for 
the  whole  life  and  salvation  of  a  christian;  we  are  also 
said  to  be  saved  by  hope.  But  it  must  be  very  unreason- 
able to  be  uinderstood  so  v/ithout  there  is  something  that 
makes  the  meaning  evident.  I  certainly  would  understand 
the  apostle  (Rom.  8.  24.)  to  mean  that  hope  was  the  only 
grace  of  the  Spirit,  were  I  not  told  that  there  were  other 
graces.  But  how  unreasonable  must  it  be  to  understand 
active  obedience  to  be  included  in  passive,  when  it  is  nei- 
ther said  to  be  so  in  the  bible  nor  yet  necessary  in  the 
nature  of  the  things  themselves.  Must  I  conclude  a  man 
is  perfectly  holy  because  I  see  him  condemned  as  a  sin- 


275 


„er'^  No:  so  far  from  it  (hat  I  must  have  vcy  crcduabc 
1  matiou  bclbrc  I  could  believe  it;  and  « I.e.  I  would 
bell-ve  it  I  would  u.Kloubtcdly  thuik  he  had  a,>  u.,just 
.ud^e.  Sueh  eonstructions  as  .l>ese  are  so  far  from  be.ng 
naturally  or  necessarily  admitted  that  wc  cannot  bel.cve 
them  when  they  arc  atseited.  .r,.,,;. 

It  is  in  vain  to  sav  that  in  this  case  Christ  died,  not  fo.  h.s 
own  sins,  but  the  ^ins  of  his  people.  1  ask  was  «  because^ 
his  people  were  righteous  d.at  he  Icept  the  law  for  them. 
No  certainly,  for  thc.i  the  law  would  .equnc  the  .^?hte- 
'ou  Jness  of  two  persons  in  the  case  of  one  person;  which  .s 
unjust.  Then  it  must  be  for  the  s.n  of  h.s  people  that 
Christ  fulfilled  the  law.  Now  admitting  this,  I  ask  again, 
did  the  law  require  any  thing  more  than  perfect  acme 
righteousness  instead  of  sin?  It  certainly  could  not   Then 
when  Christ  died,  after  he  had  satisfied  the  law  for  the 
sin  of  his  people  already,  did  he  not  render  two  satisfac- 
tions for  one  crime?  No  person  wilfully  and  knowingly 
could  hold  such  sentiments  without  bemg  guiUy  ol  blas- 
phemy against  God  and  his  divine  law.  How  can  divines  > 
leap  over  sueh  heterogeneous  cmsequenccs  n.  order  to 
maintain  an  old  tradition,  and  assert  without  any  proof  or 
reason  that  the  death  and  sufferings  of  Christ  include  h.s\ 
active  obedience  in  our  stead?  For  my  part  I  am  not  dis-  \ 
posed  to  knock  out  my  brains  as  a  compliment  to  my  an- 
cestors, dearly  as  I  love  them.  Who  I  believe  this  doc 
trine  I  must  have  an  argument  which  has  some  force  in 
if  and  bad  as  I  am  I  will  give  that  much  honour  to  thi- 
bible  as  to  learn  from  it  what  Christ  did  for  the  salvation 
of  sinners. 


:276 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

riie  moral  propnctij  of  the  covenant  of  redemption. 

We  are  in  the  third  place  to  show  that  the  covenant  of 
redemption  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the  principles  of 
moral  rectitude  and  justice. 

Before  I  proceed  to  the  discussion  of  this  point  I  will 
make  a  preliminary  remark.  There  is  nothing  in  all  the 
bible  that  can  counteract  the  diabolical  designs  of  Satan 
or  level  the  pride  of  the  human  heart  but  the  condition 
of  the  covenant  of  redemption  fulfilled  in  the  atonement 
of  the  cross  of  Christ.  (1  John,  3.  8.)  Satan  in  his  infiu 
ences  on  the  minds  of  sinners  bends  his  force  particularh 
against  this  point  in  the  gospel.  He  cares  not  what  youi 
creed  is,  or  how  many  articles  you  have  in  it,  if  you  only 
leave  out  this  one  article,  viz.  the  atonement  of  the  cross. 
He  still  considers  himself  sure  of  his  prey  let  the  sinner 
believe  what  he  v.all  and  feel  what  he  may  if  the  cross  of 
Christ  is  not  revealed  to  him.  He  knows  that  nothing  but 
that  can  save  a  sinner;  and  that  that  can  and  will  save  eve- 
ry one,  even  the  very  chief  of  sinners,  if  it  is  applied  unto. 
(2  Cor.  4.  3,  4.)  All  the  world  has  been  in  opposition  to 
the  cross;  and  thousands  even  of  those  who  profess  the 
christian  religion,  although  they  acknowledge  themselves 
friends  to  the  gospel  and  even  pretend  much  respect  to 
Christ,  yet  deny  the  vicarious  merit  of  the  cross.  The 
papists  can  depend  upon  the  virgin  Mary  and  all  or  any 
of  their  canonized  saints^  and  the  effects  of  purgatory, 
and  the  prayers  and  absolution  of  their  priests.  The  so- 
cinians  can  look  to  the  rules  and  example  of  Christ.  The 
arminians  can  acknowledge  free  grace  given  to  all  yet 
none  to  be  siived  by  an  established  covenant  but  in  con- 
!?equence  of  improving  and  continuing  to  improve  that 


277 

common  grace.  But  notwithstanding  all  the  sophistical 
arguments  winch  the  pride  ol'  man,  or  the  cunning  and 
malice  of  Satan  can  invent,  the  doctrine  of  the  vicarious 
atonement  of  Christ  can  be  vindicated  to  be  perfectly  con- 
sistent with  justice  and  equity. 

All  confess  that  God  is  infmitely  holy  and  just,  and 
consequently  will  do  nothing  wrong:  and  that  he  is  inii 
nite  in  wisdom  and  knowledge,  and  consequently  li,e 
cannot  be  mistaken,  and  cannot  do  any  thing  improper 
through  ignorance,  inattention  or  oversight.  The  bible 
unquestionably  proves  the  plan  of  the  gospel  to  be  found- 
ed on  the  vicarious  atonement  of  Christ  as  a  surety ;  as 
1  have  sufficiently  explained  and  proven.  The  inference 
must  consequently  be,  that  the  atonement  of  Christ  must 
be  consistent  with  every  dictate  of  holiness  and  propriety ; 
it  being  the  will  of  a  God  of  infinite  perfection  and  glory. 

Every  just  law  can  if  it  will,  admit  of  suretiship  in 
every  case  where  a  surety  can  be  admitted  on  equitable 
principles.  This  is  evident  from  the  universal  practice  of 
courts  of  justice,  which  every  one  knows  and  acknow- 
ledges; and  also  from  the  bible  which  mentions  it  as 
lawful,  and  gives  us  several  examples  of  it.  Prov.  6. 
1 — 5.  and  11.  15.  It  is  true  these  texts  advise  to  care- 
fulness in  the  matter,  but  do  not  condemn  it  as  wrong; 
so  also  Prov.  17.  18.  and  22.  26,  27.  Judah  went  suret} 
to  his  father  for  Benjamin.  Paul  was  surety  to  Phile- 
mon for  Onesimus.  It  was  usual  to  take  pledges  and  give 
hostages  in  various  cases  and  circumstances. 

But  several  circumstances  are  necessary  to  render  ii 
just  to  be  a  surety,  especially  for  Christ  to  die  in  the 
room  of  sinners. 

1.  None  can  be  forced  to  be  a  surety  against  his  will. 
But  Jesus  was  willing;  and  became  a  voluntary  surety. 
Ps.  40.  7,  8.  Heb.  10.  9.  10.  Tit.  2.  14.  "  Not  my  will 
"  but  thine  be  done."  "  My  delight  was  with  the  sons  of 
*'  men.  Here  am  I,  send  me." 


278 

2.  Every  surety  must  have  a  right  to  do,  or  give  what 
he  is  to  be  bound  to  by  his  suretiship.  Hence  the  ciA  il 
law  does  not  admit  of  surety,  where  life  is  at  staice;  be- 
cause no  man  has  a  right  to  dispose  of  his  life.  But  our 
glorious  Surety  had.  "  I  lay  down  my  life,  says  he,  for 
"  my  sheep.  No  man  taketh  it  from  me;  but  I  lay  it 
'*  down  of  myself.  I  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I 
''  have  power  to  take  it  again."  John  10.  15.  18. 

3.  As  no  man  can  be  forced  to  be  a  surety,  so  no  man 
can  oblige  the  law  or  the  person  having  the  demand,  to 
take  him  as  a  surety.  But  the  Father  was  well  pleased 
imhim  and  chose  him,  and  promised  to  accept  of  his 
atonement.  Mat.  3.  17.  Is.  42.  I,  6.  and  53.  10 — 12. 
"  The  Lord  is  well  pleased  for  his  righteousness'  sake. 
''  He  will  magnify  the  law  and  make  it  honourable." 

4.  If  the  person  was  known  not  to  be  able  to  answer 
the  demands  of  justice  he  could  not  be  admitted;  for  jus- 
tice cannot  be  disappointed  or  trifled  with.  But  Jesus  was 
able  to  bear  the  stroke  of  death  and  to  satisf)  the  demands 
of  justice.  Ps.  89.  19. 

5.  The  public  must  not  lose  a  good  citizen,  and  save 
a  bad  one.  Every  principle  of  justice  and  good  policy 
would  refuse  suretiship  in  such  a  case.  But  there  was 
nothing  lost,  but  every  thing  gained,  so  to  speak,  by  the 
death  of  Christ.  He  died  indeed;  but  he  arose  again  the 
third  day.  He  was  buried  on  our  Friday,  in  the  evening, 
which  according  to  the  Jewish  mode  of  reckoning  time, 
was  the  sixth  day ;  he  rested  from  his  labours  in  the  tomb 
on  the  Jewish  sabbath,  which  was  our  Saturday;  and  very 
early  in  the  morning  on  our  sabbath  he  rose;  which  made 
the  third  day.  He  was  dead  fiom  three  o'clock  on  Friday 
evening  till  about  six  o;i  sabbath  morning  at  break  of 
day,  about  thirty-nine  hours;  then  he  arose  triumphant 
from  the  grave  having  spoiled  the  powers  of  death  and 
hell,  and  purchased  eternal  salvation  for  his  people, 
Rom.  4,  25.  So  that  his  death  was  no  loss  but  infinite 


279 

gain.  God  was  glorified  in  all  his  perfections;  our 
adorable  Surety  was  liiglil}  exalted  and  crowned  Avith 
glory  and  honour.  The  law  was  magniiicd  and  made 
honourable;  and  thousands  of  sinners  Avere  redeemed 
from  eternal  ruin  and  made  for  ever  happy  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  God  as  their  gloiious  portion  lor  ever. 

Notwithstanding  blinded  mortals  through  the  pride 
and  enmity  of  their  hearts  find  fault  with  this  plan,  and 
employ  their  boa5.ted  wit  and  wisdom  in  ridicule  and 
scorn;  yet  the  gospel  plan  is  the  admiration  of  angels,  the 
terror  of  devils,  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 
sinners  who  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  plan 
of  grace  and  redemption  can  not  only  be  proven  from  the 
bible;  but  ii  can  also  be  vindicated  from  every  principle 
of  moralit}  and  justice.  Well  might  the  apostle  say,  "  If 
"  any  man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  let  him  be 
"  anathema  maranatha;  and  God  forbid  that  I  should 
"  glory  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Upon  the  whole,  from  the  view  which  I  have  taken  of 
this  covenant  we  may  conclude  that  it  well  deserves  the 
honourable  title  of  the  covenant  of  redemption;  because 
that  when  all  had  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  elory  ol 
God,  when  we  had  involved  ourselves  in  a  state  of  ruin 
and  despair,  God  of  his  own  boundless  grace  and  mercy 
was  pleased  to  give  us  another  covenant  head,  in  whom 
was  treasured  the  rich  stores  of  his  love,  grace  and 
mercy.  But  in  order  that  we  might  be  removed  from  un- 
der the  curse  and  entitled  to  the  boundless  grace  of  this 
covenant,  he,  our  Surety  had  to  suffer  the  curse  for  us  as 
the  price  of  our  redemption,  and  consequently  as  the 
condition  of  the  covenant.  We  find  that  the  holy  life  of 
Christ  was  to  set  us  an  example  to  follow  his  steps,  and 
to  prepare  himself  to  be  the  great  high  priest  and  atone- 
ment for  his  people.  We  find  that  according  to  the  terms 
of  the  covenant  he  offered  himself  on  the  cross,  a  sacri- 
fice  once  for  all;  and  that  by  his  one  offering  he  hatli 


280 

for  ever  perfected  them  that  are  sanctified.  We  have  seen 
that  his  passive  obedience  alone  is  the  robe  of  righteous- 
ness which  is  imputed  to  believers.  That  it  is  sufficient  for 
our  complete  justification;  by  which  we  are  redeemed 
from  hell  and  entitled  to  heaven.  That  his  glorious  re- 
surrection is  a  testimony  of  the  validity  of  his  suiferings 
and  the  approbation  of  the  Father;  and  that  through  his 
prevalent  intercession  the  divine  communications  of  the 
Spirit  are  sent  down  to  accompany  the  gospel,  to  gather 
in  his  people,  and  apply  to  them  the  inexhaustible  riches 
of  his  great  salvation.  That  we  not  only  have  a  clear  ac- 
count of  it  in  the  infallible  word  of  God;  but  also  that 
the  justice  and  equity  of  the  whole  plan  can  be  fully  vin- 
dicated to  the  satisfaction  of  any  reasonable  mind.  What 
heart  that  ever  has  felt  the  power  of  divine  grace,  can 
withhold  the  tribute  of  praise?  What  heart  that  has  ever 
inquired,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  but  has  found 
a  complete  deliverance  by  having  the  interesting  inquiry 
answered  by  the  glory  of  this  covenant?  What  heart  that 
has  ever  fled  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling  but  can  rest  in 
this  covenant  which  is  well  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure? 
and  finally  who,  that  ever  has  a  title  to  the  blessings  of 
tliis  covenant,  but  shall  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord? 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Improvement. 

If  any  cannot  feel  thankful  for  the  covenant  of  redemp- 
tion, it  must  be  because  they  are  not  sensible  of  the  ruins 
of  the  fall.  It  is  the  most  astonishing  circumstance  that 
ever  was  heard  of.  For  God  to  create  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  worlds  is  not  comparatively  astonishing.  It 
was  truly  a  glorious  display  of  his  almighty  and  eternal 
power  and  godhead.  His  common  and  universal  provi^ 


281 

dence  is  a  continued  manifestation  of  his  divine  wisdom 
and  £^oodntss.  But  the  covenant  of  redemption  is  tl\e  re- 
conciling of  jarring  perfections;  wherein  God  gives  a 
"ftiost  striking  view  of  liis  moral  excellence  and  glory. 
Holiness  is  God's  moral  character.  Holiness  consists  hi 
the  exercise  of  justice,  goodness,  and  truth;  and  justice 
is  the  radical  principle  of  all.  Justice  always  has  one  of 
two  demands:  The  first  is  perfect  righteousness:  If  this 
be  wanting,  then  the  second  demand  is  death.  On  the 
exercise  of  justice  in  the  first  case  God  is  good  to  his 
creatures  individually  by  blessing  them  with  happiness; 
but  when  his  law  is  transgressed,  then  justice  has  its 
second  demand,  which  is  always  penal.  In  the  exercise 
of  justice  in  this  case  God  is  good  as  a  moral  governor 
to  his  creatures  at  large,  taking  the  whole  government 
and  his  whole  kingdom  into  view;  and  his  goodness  con- 
sists in  punishing  the  wicked.  This  does  not  make  the 
individuals  happy  who  have  sinned;  but  it  is  essentially 
necessary  to  the  happiness  of  the  general  subjects  of  his 
government,  which  could  not  be  happy  without  it;  for  it 
is  impossible  for  sin  to  make  happy.  So  that  God's  good- 
ness is  the  consequence  of  the  proper  exercise  of  justice. 
Truth  is  the  opposite  of  falsehood.  When  justice  is  ex- 
ercised exactly  according  to  its  demands,  then  there  is  no 
deception  or  disappointment;  truth  fulfils  the  expecta- 
tions of  all ;  but  if  God  would  not  punish  the  wicked,  or 
IT  he  would  punish,  or  even  not  justly  rewaid  the  righte- 
ous, in  either  case  there  would  be  falsehood,  deception, 
and  disappointment.  So  that  both  goodness  and  truth 
depend  upon  the  proper  exercise  of  justice;  and  justice 
is  the  essence  of  God's  moral  character;  and  the  proper 
exercise  of  justice  in  all  cases  and  in  all  circumstances 
and  towards  all  creatures  is  spotless  holiness.  Jer.  50.  7. 
Ps.  89.  14.  and  47.  8.  Now  for  God  to  punish  the  guilty 
race  of  Adam,  as  he  has  done  the  devils  in  hell,  would 
i)e  a  most  natural  exercise  of  justice  in  its  penal  demands: 

2N 


282 

but  every  individual  must  be  miserable  for  ever.  Indivi- 
dual goodness  towards  sinners  is  mercy;  but  mercy 
can  never  take  place,  because  goodness  is  the  exercise  of 
justice;  and  justice  forbids  goodness  to  be  exercised  to 
individuals  who  have  sinned  and  rendered  themselves 
liable  to  misery.  So  that  mercy  and  justice  are  as  directly 
opposite  to  each  other  as  any  two  things  can  possibly  be. 
But  justice  sits  on  the  throne  and  holds  the  reins  of 
government;  and  nothing  can  be  done  contrary  to  its 
dictates. 

But  God  was  determined  to  be  merciful,  and  to  give  a 
display  of  his  divine  glory  in  making  sinners  liappy  in 
the  enjoyment  of  himself.  He  had  thousands  of  sinners 
who  had  transgressed  his  holy  law,  and  lay  under  the  vin- 
dictive sentence  of  his  justice.  All  the  devils  in  hell,  and 
fallen  Adam  and  all  his  posterity  were  present  in  his  view 
from  eternity;  all  held  fast,  by  his  inflexible  justice,  under 
an  irrevocable  sentence  of  damnation.  He  passed  by  the 
angels  who  sinned,  and  chose  to  save  sinners  of  the  race  of 
Adam ;  and  also  farther  to  glorify  his  awful  sovereignty, 
he  chose  whom  he  would  of  Adam's  posterity  and  gave 
them  to  Christ  as  his  spiritual  seed  in  the  covenant  of 
redemption.  Here  are  the  wonders  of  redemption !  Wis- 
dom opening  the  way  for  mercy  by  satisfying  justice! 
Giving  it  its  full  demand  in  our  glorious  Surety!  We  be- 
hold the  whole  plan  exhibited  in  the  cross  of  Christ!  Our 
faith  with  solemn  wonder  and  profound  reverence  beholds 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  hanging  on  the  accursed  tree;  in  his 
boundless  love  he  takes  the  bitter  cup  and  drinks  the  very 
dregs  of  his  Father's  wrath;  the  sword  of  justice  which 
cannot  pity  nor  spare  vented  all  its  vengeance  on  his  de- 
voted head.  The  glorious  victim  fell,  and  the  sinner  un 
touched.  "  He  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew  no 
"  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
"  him." 

Now  mercy  begins  to  triumph;  she  decks  herself  in  thf 


283 

bloody  garments  of  the  cross  and  takes  justice  in  her  soil 
embrace;  they  mutually  kiss  each  other  and  unite  their 
voice  in  proclaiming  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest;  peace 
"  and  good  will  towards  men."  Never  was  there  such  a 
display  of  the  glory  of  God.  Never  did  mercy  and  justice 
unite  before.  Devils  saw  it  and  were  confounded.  Angels 
saw  it  and  adored.  Men  saw  it  and  mourned  and  rejoiced 
and  hoped  for  pardon.  In  all  the  records  of  history  was  it 
ever  said;  in  all  the  secret  recesses  of  the  mind  was  it  ever 
thought,  that  God  could  he  just,  and  yet  the  justifier  of  him 
who  believeth  on  Jesus?  But  the  bible  proves  the  fact,  and 
the  gospel  proclaims  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  • 

O  my  soul  art  thou  interested  in  this  wonderful  cove- 
nant? Has  Jesus  done  all  this  for  thee?  Hast  thou  broken 
the  laws  of  God?  and  does  he  mercifully  forgive  thy  sin? 
Who  am  I,  and  what  is  my  lather's  house,  that  I  should  be 
so  happy?  I  cannot  think  of  hell  but  I  feel  my  just  desert; 
and  yet  am  I  an  heir  of  an  eternal  inheritance,  tiirough  the 
death  of  my  dear  Lord? 

O  believer,  what  has  Jesus  done?  He  has  fulfilled  the 
condition  of  the  covenant  of  redemption.  He  has  died  that 
you  might  live.  He  has  satisfied  justice  that  you  might 
receive  mercy.  And  where  is  he  now?  He  has  ascended 
to  his  Father.  Blessed  Intercessor!  he  is  at  the  right  hand 
of  God;  he  has  taken  his  own  blood,  and  has  entered  into 
the  most  holy  place.  The  validity  of  his  death  obtains 
every  blessing  from  his  Father.  When  he  pleads  his  blood 
nothing  can  withstand  him.  No  benefit  is  too  great  for  it 
to  purchase.  Justice  approves;  and  the  promises  of  the 
covenant  insure  the  blessing  to  every  believer.  Infinite 
wisdom  planned,  and  conducts  the  whole  plan.  Infinite 
power  executes,  and  infinite  truth  and  faithfulness  secure 
the  performance.  And  what  can  I  say  more?  Are  these 
the  blessings  which  are  denied  devils,  and  which  sinners 
despise?  Are  believers  the  only  partakers ?  And  is  the  be- 
liever unthankful?  Unthankful  did  I  say?  Would  my  rea- 


i84 

der  be  astonished  were  I  to  say,  that  even  the  believer  gan 
hardly  trust  his  soiil  in  the  hands  of  the  Saviour  notwith- 
standing air?  Does  such  a  covenant  as  this  admit  of  a 
doubt?  This  second  covenant  was  not  like  the  first,  Adam 
was  a  finite,  fallible  creature;  Christ  was  die  Lord  from 
heaven.  The  first  covenant  was  doubtful  from  the  begin- 
ning, because  of  the  fallibility  of  Adam  who  had  to  fulfil 
the  condition  of  it;  but  the  second  was  so  vvell  ordered  in 
all  things  and  sure,  and  the  surety  so  infallible,  that  thou- 
sands were  pardoned  and  saved,  and  went  to  heaven  long 
before  the  condition  of  the  covenant  was  really  fulfilled. 
Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  all  the  prophets,  and  the  thou- 
sands  of  Israel  and  Judah,  who  believed  long  before  the 
coming  of  Christ  in  the  flesh,  received  pardon  and  sancti- 
fication,  and  a  title  to,  and  an  entrance  into  the  kingdom. 
God  risked  his  eternal  honour  on  the  faithfulness  of  his 
Son,  and  applied  the  blessings  of  the  covenant  even  before 
they  were  purchased;  because  the  surety  was  faithful. 
How  firmly  does  the  apostle  argue  Rom.  5.  9.  "  Much 
"  more  being  now  justified  by  his  blood,  we  shall  be  saved 
"from  wrath  through  him."  But  alas!  notwithstanding 
the  stability  of  the  covenant,  the  faithfulness  of  the  surety 
and  the  ransom  paid,  yet  believers  are  prone  to  scruple 
their  title  to  happiness.  We  are  apt  to  introduce  condi- 
tions as  terms  of  salvation,  which  are  hard  to  perform ;  and 
not  contented  with  faith  the  only  condition  of  the  gospel, 
we  substitute  §ome  of  the  very  blessings  stipulated  in  the 
covenant  as  terms  which  we  have  to  perform,  such  as 
repentance,  reformation,  good  feelings  and  good  works. 
We  forget  what  the  ajwistle  says,  Rom.  4.  16.  "  Therefore 
"  it  is  of  faith  that  it  might  be  by  grace  to  the  end  the  pro- 
^'  mise  might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed;"  and  when  we  are 
brought  to  acknov/lcdge  faith  as  the  only  scriptural  term 
of  salvation,  we  are  prone  to  work  still  by  believing;  and 
we  try  to  purchase  instead  of  accept  of  salvation.  Thus 
the  poor  desponding  believer,  instead  of  trus'ting  with  a 


285 

suitable  firmness  to  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  is  trying 
too  much  to  obtain  acceptance  by  the  deeds  of  the  law*, 
falsely  imai^ining   that   he  must   become  acceptable  to 
Christ,  not  as  a  sinner  but  as  a  penitent  believer;  and  his 
fai^ih  must  consist  of  holiness  of  heart,  hatred  to  sin,  lo^  e 
to  God,  sore,  sorrowful  repentance,  and  a  thorough  relbr- 
mation.  Now  had  Christ  come  to  call  the  righteous  and 
not  sinners,  and  if  the  law  would  accept  of  a  sincere,  in- 
stead of  perfect  obedience,  such  believers  might,  for  what 
I  know,  have  a  comfortable  hope  and  much  thanks  for 
their  industry  in  preparing  their  hearts  for  Christ.   But  the 
fact  is;  Christ  came  to  save  sinners,  and  offers  freely  every 
thing  necessary  to  sahation;  and  only  asks  the  consent  of 
the  heart  to  the  generous  proposal.  The  unhappy  man,  fond 
of  lending  a  helping  hand,  and  feeling  that  much  is  lo  be 
done  before  he  can  be  si-ved,  starts  back,  and  cries,  *'  The 
•■'  terms  are  too  easy."  But  he  forgets,  or  perhaps  never 
considered,  that  Christ  and  not  faith  had  to  perform  the 
work.  So  he  foolishly  loses  sight  of  the  overture,   by 
quarrelling  with  the  diminutive  size  of  his  faith.   Thus 
for  want  of  p  oper  views  of  the   covenant,  or  plan   of 
redemption,  he  cannot  feel  his  interest  in  it ;  and  is  for- 
ever trying  to  save  himself  in  order  to  persuade  Christ  to 
save  him  and  render  his  prayers  and  his  faith  acceptable 
to  the  Redeemer  of  sinners.  But  if  doubting  christians 
must  doubt  we  cannot  help  them  while  they  will  not  be 
persuaded  to  trust  with  confidence  in  the  promises  of 
God.  But  let  those  who  can  say  with  Paul,  *'  I  know 
''  M'hom  I  have  believed;  and  1  am  persuaded  that  he  is 
"  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him 
"  against  that  day."  1  say  let  all  such  consider  the  infinite 
stability  of  the  covenant  of  redemption. 

The  moral  law  is  glorious  and  dreadful.  It  is  the  grand 
stratum  of  the  whole  procedure  of  the  divine  governmenl. 
The  covenant  of  works  (as  we  call  it)  was  made  \vith 
Adam  as  the  representative  of  his  posterity.  This  cove- 


286 

nant  graciously  proposed  and  stipulated  every  necessary 
grace  to  Adam  and  his  posterity,  to  maintain  them  in  a 
perfect  conformity  to  this  law  ou  the  easy  conditions 
of  not  eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  We  are  consequently 
left  without  excuse ;  and  it  really  is  enough  to  level  our 
pride  with  the  dust  to  think  of  the  gracious  opportunity 
afforded  in  the  first  covenant  t6  us  in  our  federal,  head. 
Heaven  with  all  its  glory;  holiness  with  all  its  divine 
beauty;  in  short,  perfect  conformity  to  the  moral  law 
and  perfect  happiness  in  the  enjoyment  of  God  for  ever 
was  freely  overtured  in  that  covenant  in  terms  so  low  that 
it  is  impossible  to  think  of  it  without  blushing.  Was  it 
possible  that  Adam  could  not  keep  from  eating  of  that 
tree?  How  little,  low,  servile  and  mean  was  the  action? 
and  how  dreadful  the  consequences? 

But  mankind  have  a  strange  and  a  proud  propensity 
to  make  the  conditions  of  God's  covenant  hard,  just  be- 
cause the  harder  the  terms  of  any  covenant  are  the  more 
honour  there  is  in  keeping  them,  and  the  more  excusable 
we  would  be  in  breaking  them;  therefore  sinners  to  have 
a  shadow  of  excuse  must  introduce  the  whole  moral  law 
and  the  forbidden  fruit  too  as  the  condition  of  the  first  co- 
venant; so  that  if  Adam  had  kept  the  covenant  he  would  re- 
ally have  made  a  grand  purchase;  and  the  greater  the  pur- 
chase the  less  the  grace,  and  the  less  honour  to  God  the 
more  to  Adam ;  and  there  is  none  of  his  posterity  but  feels 
now  a  disposition  to  lay  in  their  full  claim  to  glory.  But 
alas !  Adam  fell !  Wliat,  fell  ?  and  yet  nothing  to  do  but 
not  to  eat  the  forbidden  fruit?  Our  proud  hearts  rise  at 
the  thought.  It  is  enough  to  make  Satan  himself  blush 
with  a  hellish  shame,  were  it  possible  for  devils  to  blush 
at  sin,  to  think  of  the  paltry  bait  and  the  meanness  of  such 
disobedience.  What!  to  barter  holiness  and  heaven  for  a 
fig!  and  figs  enough  beside.  No,  we  cannot  find  words  to 
express- our  abhorrence  of  such  folly,  and  the  infinite 
meanness  of  our  venerable  fiither.  We  easily  slide  into  a 


287 

palliating  excuse,  by  introducing  the  whole  ten  command- 
ments as  a  condition;  and  the  forbidden  fruit  as  a  supernu- 
merary article  to  serve  as  an  artful  bait  to  trepan  Adam  into 
a  transgression.  Thus  through  our  arrogance  we  gild 
over  as  well  as  wc  can  (and  indeed  bad  is  the  best  we  can 
make  of  it)  the  most  silly,  low,  groveling  and  shameful 
action  that  ever  was  done  under  the  sun,  except  the  con- 
duct of  sinners  towards  the  gospel.  But  with  all  our  ex- 
cuses and  with  all  our  pride  wo  to  the  man  for  ever  who 
lives  and  dies  under  that  covenant.  It  is  a  broken  cove- 
nant; its  blessings  are  forfeited;  and  its  penalty  is  incurred; 
and  nothing  but  death  can  be  expected  from  it.  He  who 
goes  about  establishing  a  righteousness  of  his  own,  or  ex- 
pects to  find  mercy  by  fending  oft'  the  stroke  of  the  flaming 
sword  in  the  hand  of  the  cherubim,  or  expects  to  slip  in 
in  spite  of  the  flaming  vigilance  of  the  cherubic  guard  tf> 
the  tree  of  life  must  experience  a  final  disappointment. 

How  unspeakable  is  the  condescension  of  God.  "  When 
"  there  was  no  eye  to  pity,  nor  hand  to  bring  deliverance 
"  he  was  pleased  (and  indeed  it  was  his  good  pleasure's 
"  to  lay  help  on  one  who  is  mighty."  We  have  seen  that 
Jesus  Christ,  (Jesus  Christ,  O  my  heart  lies  submissive 
at  his  feet,  prostrate  and  adoring)  has  paid  the  ransom: 
and  having  established  and  scaled  the  covenant  of  redemp 
tion  by  his  own| blood  "  he  is  exalted  as  a  Prince  and  a 
*'  Saviour  to  give  repentance  to  Israel  and  the  forgiveness 
*'  of  sins."  By  his  sovereign  orders  the  gospel  is  pro- 
claimed to  guilty,  fallen  sinners,  containing  the  overtures 
of  eternal  salvation  from  guilt,  sin  and  misery. 

Although  the  blessings  of  this  covenant  are  meritori 
ously  founded  on  the  satisfaction  of  the  bloody  cross  of 
Christ,  yet  the  purchase  being  complete,  the  price  fully 
paid,  and  all  things  being  ready,  the  oftbr  of  the  whole  is 
made  and  the  blessings  completely  insured  on  the  humi- 
liating condition  of  faith.  It  is  impossible  for  an  easier  or 
more  suital)lc  or  simple  thing  to  be  thought  of  by  the 
mind  of  man  than  faith. 


288 

Here  the  poor  sinner  feels  his  pride  again.  It  rises 
against  the  covenant  of  works;  it  rises  also  against  the 
covenant  of  grace.  The  objections  do  not  lie  against 
the  blessings  and  promises,  at  least  so  far  as  they  relate 
to  happiness;  but  O  the  conditions  are  as  easy,  so  little, 
so  low,  so  totally  insignificant  and  trifling.  It  is  as  bad 
as  not  eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  It  is  worse,  ten  times 
worse;  for  that  took  some  time  of  trial,  but  this  is  done  in 
a  moment.  That  had  not  half  so  much  to  do  as  this;  and 
yet  this  is  ten  times  easier  done.  All  our  art  is  employed 
to  explain  the  nature  of  faith  to  make  it  suit  our  pride ;  and 
when  we  have  it  half  explained  we  have  our  souls  half 
saved;  and  then  we  have  our  difficulties,  fears,  doubts, 
surmises,  despondings,  &c.  lest  Christ  should  have  the 
honour  of  doing  all.  But  you  say  I  am  uncharitable;  no 
man  is  so  bad  as  this.  I  will  ask  my  reader  a  few  ques- 
tions. Are  you  a  lost  sinner?  Do  you  feel  it?  Does  Christ 
offer  you  salvation?  Is  he  willing  to  give  it  to  you  freely? 
Does  your  heart  consent  to  the  offer?  Now  when  you  an- 
swer all  these  in  the  affirmative,  the  last  question  affirma- 
tively is  faith.  I  now  ask  again,  Can  you  trust  him?  If 
your  heart  now  gives  back,  and  you  find  it  impossible 
for  you  to  put  your  trust  in  Christ  you  are  the  very  proud 
wretch  which  I  have  been  describing.  You  are  like  Naa- 
man,  the  Syrian,  you  bring  with  you  ten  talents  of  silver 
and  six  thousand  pieces  of  gold  and  ten  changes  of  rai- 
ment; and  you  like  Abana  and  Pharpar  better  than  Jor- 
dan. But  you  cannot  believe  a  word  I  say;  for  you  are 
certain  that  you  are  so  far  from  bringing  any  thing,  or 
pretending  to  bring  any  thing,  that  alas!  alasl  you  have? 
nothing  to  bring.  This  is  certainly  the  truth;  you  cer- 
tainly have  nothing.  But  this  is  your  grief.  But  this  would 
not  grieve  you  if  you  were  humble;  but  you  feel  bad  and 
cannot  trust  in  Christ  because  you  are  poor.  Do  you  not 
feel  ashamed  to  complain  of  want  when  you  are.  surround- 
ed with  the  rich  offers  of  the  gospel?  Remember  what 


289 

God  says,  (Isa.  52.  3.)  "  Thus  saith  tlie  Lord,  ye  have 
*' sold  youisclves  for  nouglit;  and  ye  shall  be  redeemed 
"  without  money."  Let  us  cease  from  pride  and  be  con- 
tented w  itii  the  terms  of  salvation,  and  simply  believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  we  shall  be  sa\'ed;  and  lei  us 
stay  our  minds  upon  him  and  he  will  keep  us  in  perfect 
peace. 

In  the  last  place.  Every  plan  of  God  tends  to  humble 
the  pride  of  man.  The  covenant  of  works  taught  his  falli- 
ble state  and  tended  to  establish  him  on  the  principles  of 
free  grace.  The  covenant  of  redemption  takes  the  whole 
business  out  of  the  hands  of  the  sinner;  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  uridertakes  the  business  of  a  surety;  he  purchases 
the  benefits  and  freely  bestows  them  upon  undeserving 
creatures.  The  terms  on  which  he  bestows  his  grace  are 
truly  humbling,  and  the  whole  plan  from  first  to  last  cal- 
culated to  give  all  the  glory  to  God  and  establish  the 
creature  entirely  dependent  on  divine  truth  and  faithful- 
ness. 

Nothing  can  be  established  on  firmer  basis  than  the  co- 
venant of  redemption.  Everlasting  love  is  the  moving 
spring  of  all;  inflexible  justice,  the  radical  principle  on 
which  every  claim  is  valid;  the  complete  atonement  of 
Christ,  the  foundation  of  every  claim;  the  truth  and  faith- 
fulness of  the  parties  contracted,  the  solid  ground  of  con- 
lidence  in  every  promise  and  engagement;  infinite  wis- 
dom to  scheme  and  conduct  the  plan  and  infinite  power 
to  execute.  How  happy  must  every  soul  be  who  has  an 
interest  in  Christ?  It  is  in  vain  to  attempt  to  describe  the 
happy  situation  of  him  who  has  Jesus  Christ  for  his  surety. 
His  salvation  must  be  sure  indeed.  "  He  that  spared  not 
"  his  own  Son  but  delivered  him  uj)  for  us  all;  how  shall 
•'  he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ?" 

2  0 


290 


BOOK  IV. 

The  covenant  of  grace  considered  and  explained. 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  general  plan  and  nature  of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

1  HE  covenant  of  grace  is  that  covenant  or  contract 
which  is  made  betwixt  Christ  and  the  believer. 

I  very  cheerfully  admit  that  the  parties  contracting  are 
on  the  one  part  the  Trinity,  the  Father,  Son  and  Spirit,  not 
only  one  in  essence  but  united  in  one  general  plan,  each 
person  having  an  important  part  to  act  in  the  salvation  of 
a  sinner.  And  ever}-  believer  united  in  one  body  on  the 
other  part;  but  if  you  would  rather,  I  have  no  objection 
to  the  idea  of  one  of  the  same  covenant  made  with  every 
believer  individually  having  the  same  end  in  view,  the 
same  promises  and  the  same  condition.  But  inasmuch  as 
Jesus  Christ  is  made  head  over  all  things  to  the  church 
and  has  the  whole  management  committed  to  his  trust  I 
conceive  it  very  proper  to  say,  as  I  have  said  above,  that 
the  covenant  of  grace  is  made  betwixt  Jesus  Christ  and 
the  believer;  and  as  this  is  the  simplest  idea  and  most 
easily  expressed  and  understood  I  shall  use  it  in  treating 
the  subject. 

There  are  some  who  blend  the  covenants  of  redemption 
and  grace  together  and  make  but  one  covenant ;  the  condi- 
tion of  which  they  say  is  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  They 


291 

ihink  it  improper  to  call  faith  a  condition  of  a  covenant 
because  it  is  itself  a  gift  of  God;  conse(|uently  they  sa\ 
that  there  is  no  covenant  made  with  the  believer  at  all  only 
as  he  is  represented  in  Christ.  This  covenant  is  therefore 
what  I  call  a  covenant  of  redemption.  They  call  it  u 
covenant  of  grace;  and  they  make  the  active  and  pas- 
sive obedience  of  Christ  the  condition  of  this  covenant  of 
grace. 

I  am  not  disposed  to  enter  into  any  illnaturcd  disputes 
on  this  subject.  It  appears  to  me,  and  I  feel  it  such  a 
pleasing  thought,  that  the  great  and  eternal  God  should 
condescend  to  give  lost  sinners  another  opportunity  for  sal- 
vation through  the  wonderful  atonement  of  his  dear  Son, 
that  it  is  enough  to  repress  every  turbulent  passion,  and  melt 
us  down  into  wonder,  gratitude  and  love.  But  still  I  think 
it  the  duty  of  every  writer  for  the  public  to  give  his  ge- 
nuine sentiments  on  every  subject  he  undertakes  to  dis- 
cuss; and  I  think  it  is  the  duty  of  every  reader  to  read 
with  candour,  and  allow  every  one  to  think  for  himself; 
and  while  we  hold  to  the  great  atonement  of  Christ  we 
cannot  be  far  wrong,  whether  we  make  but  one  covenant 
or  two ;  while  ever  we  glory  in  the  cross  of  Christ  we  can- 
not be  radically  unsound  in  our  principles  however  we  may 
differ  in  our  sentijments  as  to  many  circumstantial  mat- 
ters in  divinity.  Having  premised  these  things  I  proceed  to 
speak  as  I  believe.  And  although  I  know  I  differ  from 
many,  yet  I  can  have  charity  for  all  who  acknowledge  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  as  their  only  righteousness,  how- 
c\  er  we  may  differ  as  to  names,  numbers  and  forms. 

The  bible  undoubtedly  gives  us  the  idea  of  a  covenant 
of  grace  made  betwixt  Christ  and  believers,  and  makes 
faith  to  be  the  condition  of  it.  (Mark  16.  16.)  The  name 
of  a  covenant  alwa}  s  is  derived  from  the  nature  of  the 
condition  of  it.  If  the  condition  is  something  to  be  done 
to  purchase  the  property  or  benefits  of  the  covenant,  it 
is  properly  called  a  covenant   of  ^\'^rks.   'J^hf-  covenant 


292 

made  with  Adam,  were  we  to  admit  the  moral  law  to  be 
tlic  condition,  would  be  of  this  nature.  The  moral  law- 
is,  rind  always  was  and  always  will  be,  a  law  of  works; 
and  when  Adam  broke  covenant  with  God,  he  had  no 
security  for  his  perfect  fulfilment  of  the  moral  law;  and 
having  once  disobeyed,  even  in  a  positive  precept,  which 
was  the  stipulated  condition  of  the  covenant,  he  acted 
indirectly  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  moral  law ;  because 
the  moral  law  always  enforces  every  covenant  which  is 
made  consistent  with  the  principles  of  equity.  Adam 
having  thus  broken  the  covenant,  he  was  exposed  to  all 
the  consequences  of  both  the  broken  covenant,  and  the 
broken  law.  Thus  the  scriptures  positively  assert  the 
impossibility  of  salvation  by  the  deeds  of  the  law;  because 
the  law  demands  death  in  case  of  the  least  failure;  and 
Adam  and  his  posterity  were  not  able  to  fulfil  it.  But 
Christ  in  the  covenant  of  redemption  had  to  atone  for  the 
breach  of  the  first  covenant  and  the  perpetual  transgres- 
sion of  the  moral  law.  This  was  a  matter  entirely  subsis- 
ting between  the  Father  and  the  Son :  the  Father  as  the 
oifended  Majesty  of  heaven,  and  the  Son  as  a  surety  for 
the  sinner,  standing  betwixt  the  sinner  and  justice  de- 
manding death  for  the  transgression  of  the  laws  of  God. 
Jesus  our  blessed  Surety  found  this  covenant  to  be  in- 
deed a  covenant  of  redemption ;  he  had  to  wade  through 
blood,  agonies  and  death  in  order  to  redeem  those  whom 
his  Father  had  given  to  him.  The  very  last  mite  was 
paid  to  divine  justice,  before  it  was  possible  for  an  offer 
of  peace  to  be  made  to  sinners. 

But  when  justice  was  satisfied,  and  the  atonement  was 
made  then,  in  the  order  of  nature,  the  important  negotia- 
tion took  place  betwixt  God  and  sinners.  The  covenant 
/  of  redemption  is  consequently  the  whole  ground  ou 
',  which  the  covenant  of  grace  depends ;  Christ  could  have 
no  authority  to  propound  terms  of  peace,  or  make  any 
proposals  to  sinners  without  it;  neither  could  sinners 


293 

have  sufficient  grounds  to  accept  of  the  oftercd  bcncllts, 
and  trust  to  tlie  overtures  of  Christ,  but  in  consequence 
of  the  purchase  of  the  cross.  God  is  pleased  to  deal  with 
us  as  reasonable  creatures,  and  on  the  proper  principles  of 
moral  agencv ;  and  therefore  it  is  necessary  for  terms  to 
be  proposed,  and  agreed  unto  before  it  would  be  possible 
for  sinners  to  be  saved  consistent  with  the  principles  ol 
moral  government. 

This  most  important  business  is  conducted  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  consequence  of  a  special  delegation 
from  the  Father;  and  he  conducts  the  whole  business  by 
his  word  and  Spirit.  All  the  properties  of  a  covenant  arr 
clearly  discovered  in  this  interesting  transaction ;  the  par- 
ties, the  engagements,  and  the  condition.  The  parties 
mutually  agreeing,  the  engagements  containing  all  tht 
blessings  of  the  gospel  on  the  part  of  Christ;  and  laitli 
the  condition  on  the  part  of  the  sinner  without  which  no 
blessing  in  itself  of  a  saving  nature,  can  be  bestowed. 

In  treating  of  these  three  particulars  in  their  proper 
order,  we  hope  to  explain  fully  the  covenant  of  grace : 
and  may  Ciod  grant,  that  wc  may  not  only  understand 
this  all  interesting  doctrine  of  the  bible,  but  also  feel  our 
souls  interested  in  all  the  blessing  of  it. 


CHAPTER  II.  ' 

Jesus  Christ  the  first  party  in  the  covenant  of  grace. 

1.  Generally  speaking  all  covenants  have  two  parts  : 
the  first  part  contains  the  benefits  and  advantages  of  the 
covenant,  exhibited  b^  proposals;  the  other  part  contains 
the  condition  on  which  those  benefits  are  to  be  bestowed. 
Also  all  covenants  have  two  parties,  one  to  each  part; 
and  although  many  persons  may  Ixr  engaged  on  each  sidr 
of  the  covenant,  yet  they  all  make  but  two  parties;  fo' 


294 

every  person  engaged  must  be  on  one  sicle  or  the  other 
of  the  contract;  and  all  persons  engaged  on  the  same  part 
must  have  a  common  interest,  and  so,  can  make  but  one 
party.  He  who  has  the  benefits  to  bestow,  on  whatever 
condition,  is  justly  the  first  party  in  the  covenant,  be- 
cause the  other  is  the  dependent  party;  and  he  who  has 
the  condition  to  perform  is  the  second  party.  This  at 
least  is  generally  true;  and  it  is  emphatically  so  in  the 
covenant  of  grace. 

Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God  is  the  first 
party  in  the  covenant  of  grace.  He  was  the  second  party 
in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  and  had  the  condition  to 
perform  in  obedience  to  his  Father;  as  we  have  already 
seen.  Now  he  stands  as  a  Mediator  betwixt  God  and 
man,  vested  with  all  power  and  authority  from  the  court 
of  heaven  to  reconcile  sinners  unto  God.  Here  we  will 
take  notice  of  three  things  in  Christ. 

1.  The  dignity  of  his  person.  It  is  impossible  for  us 
finite  creatures  to  conceive  of  the  dignity  of  Christ.  The 
idea  which  the  holy  scriptures  give  us  of  him  is  truly 
sublime,  and  enough  to  fill  our  hearts  with  love  and  re- 
verence. He  is  called  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God. 
The  Father  with  a  voice  from  heaven  acknowledged  him 
as  such.  He  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with 
God.  He  is  the  brightness  of  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
express  image  of  his  person;  and  in  him  dwelleth  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.  To  him  is  ascribed  all 
honour  and  glory  belonging  to  the  Deity.  The  names  by 
which  God  is  pleased  to  make  himself  known  are  given 
to  him;  the  perfections  and  works  of  God  belong  to 
him ;  and  all  are  directed  to  worship  and  honour  him  even 
as  the  Father.  He  is  God,  and  man,  in  one  dignified 
person ;  and  as  such  he  is  the  glorious  party  in  this  co- 
venant. 

With  what  awful  dignity  did  Christ  appear  on  earth, 
even  in  hi^s  state  of  humiliation.  At  his  birth,  angels  and 


295 

the  host  of  heaven  usher  in  his  entrance  into  the  world 
witli  exahecl  strains  of  i^lory;  shepherds  hasten  to  sec 
the  wonderful  sight;  wise  men  from  the  east  direc- 
ted bv  a  star  come  to  the  place  and  beliold  with 
wonder  the  young  child  lying  in  a  manger.  With  what 
dignity  did  he  sit  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors,  when 
he  was  but  twelve  years  old,  to  the  astonishment 
of  all  who  heard  him.  After  he  entered  into  his  public 
life,  he  could  make  the  whole  city  of  Jerusiilem  to 
move  at  his  presence.  The  dignity  of  Christ  when  he 
was  upon  earth  did  not  exhibit  itself  in  worldly  pomp 
and  splendor;  he  evidently  appeared  above  the  influence 
of  earthly  glory  and  grandeur;  and  his  peculiar  glory 
appeared  in  the  testimonies  which  he  gave  of  his  being 
really  the  Son  of  God.  Therefore  he  said  to  the  Jews, 
"  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  me  not. 
'*  But  if  I  do,  though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the 
''  works,  that  ye  may  know  and  believe  that  tho  F'.thcr 
*'  is  in  me  and  I  in  him."  There  was  such  a  majesuc  sim- 
plicity in  the  very  manner  in  M'hich  Christ  wrought  his 
miracles,  and  such  an  awful  grandeur  in  the  miracles 
which  he  wrought,  that  it  is  impossi!)le  to  read  them 
without  some  view  of  the  divine  dignity  of  Christ.  Who 
could,  without  feeling  the  presence  of  God,  behold  him 
standing  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  commanding  peace  in 
the  midst  of  foaming  billows?  How  easily  does  he  make 
diseases,  death  and  devils  surrender  at  his  word?  With 
^vhat  awful  majesty  did  he  feed  seven  thousand  people  at 
once  and  had  more  provisions  left  when  he  was  done, 
than  he  had  when  he  began.  He  took  Peter,  James  and 
John  and  went  up  into  a  mountain,  and  there  he  unveiled 
his  glory  before  them;  and  his  face  did  shint  as  the  sun 
and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light.  \Vhat  an  honour 
must  it  be  to  be  in  covenant  with  such  a  glorious  per- 
son as  Christ;  to  be  united  to  him  in  bonds  that  never 
(•an  he  broken.  But 


296 

2.  1  proceed  to  notice  his  divine  power  and  authority 
from  the  Father,  to  stipulate  with  his  people;  to  engage 
them  to  himself  in  a  covenant  relation,  and  to  fulfil  all 
his  covenant  engagements  unto  them.  The  foundation 
of  Christ's  kingdom  is  the  blood  of  the  cross.  His  people 
belong  to  him,  through  the  gift  of  his  Father,  by  pur- 
chase. This  was  the  condition  he  had  to  perform  in  the 
covenant  with  his  Father;  and  in  consequence  of  this, 
he  is  vested  with  all  power  and  authority  in  and  over  his 
people,  and  over  all  things  for  their  sake. 

This  authority  of  Christ  is  abundantly  evident  from 
many  passages  in  scripture.  Is.  61.  1 — 3.  "  The  Spirit 
"  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me,  because  the  Lord  hath 
"  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  to  the  meek,"  &c. 
This  remarkable  passage  our  blessed  Saviour  read  and 
applied  unto  himself  (Luke  4.  16—21.)  John  3.  35.  "The 
"  Father  loveth  the  Son  and  hath  g'iv6n  all  things  into 
"  his  hand."  John  5.  26,  27.  "  For  as  the  Father  hath  life 
"  in  himself  so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in 
''  himself.  And  he  hath  given  him  authority  to  execute 
*'  judgment  also  because  he  is  the  Son  of  man."  Mat.  28. 
18.  "  All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth; 
"  Go  ye  therefore,"  &c.  1  Cor.  1.  30.  "  Who  of  God  is 
"  made  unto  us,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification 
"and  redemption."  Phil.  2.  9 — 11.  "Wherefore  God 
"  hath  highly  exalted  him,"  &c.  (1  Cor.  15.  24—28. 
John  12.  49,'  50.)  John  14.  31.  "  As  the  Father  gave 
"  me  commandment  even  so  I  do.  My  Father  is  grea- 
"  ter  than  L"  verse  28. 

From  these  texts  which  I  have  cited,  and  many  others, 
we  see  that  Jesus  Christ  in  carrying  on  the  work  of  re- 
demption in  all  the  overtures  which  he  makes  to  sinners, 
and  when  he  establishes  his  covenant  with  believers,  acts 
under  the  authority  of  God;  that  he  has  an  undoubted 
right  to  take  the  vilest  sinner  under  his  care  and  keeping 
■vrho  will  believe  in  his  name ;  and  that  he  can  and  v/iil 


297 

iulfil  all  his  engagements  to  his  pcojile  to  their  eternal 
salviition  according  to  the  covenant  ol'giace. 

3.  I  \vill  next  mention  some  particulars  which,  in  an 
infinite  degree,  qualif\'  the  great  Redeemer  to  execute 
the  important  trust  committed  to  his  hand.  And 

1.  He  is  possessed  ol  infinite  wisdom.  His  whole  plan 
is  before  him.  He  can  see  the  exact  tendency  and  e filet 
of  every  measure  he  adopts,  and  can  scan  the  result  of 
every  dispensation.  He  with  infinite  skill  can  conduct 
and  manage  the  great  affairs  of  his  kingdom;  he  can  com- 
municate grace  to  his  people  where,  when,  how,  and  in 
what  degree  he  sees  fit.  He  can  baffle  all  the  devices  of 
Satan,  and  counteract  all  the  infiuences  of  the  world,  and 
of  sin.  No  w'eapon  formed  against  his  cause  shall  pros- 
per; neither  shall  the  gates  of  hell  ever  prevail  against 
his  church  and  people. 

2.  He  is  inlinite  in  knowledge;  and  he  is  every  where 
present.  There  is  not  a  thought  or  a  feeling,  or  a  want 
which  his  people  have  but  he  perfectly  knows  it;  no  pos- 
sible circumstance  can  take  place  but  under  his  hispec- 
tion.  The  believer  can  be  in  no  possible  place  but  he  is 
in  the  presence  of  his  covenanted  God.  This  is  a  source 
of  consolation  indeed.  It  gives  every  possible  advantage 
in  prayer.  Christ  knows  the  very  breathings  of  the  believ- 
ing soul;  the  believer  can  find  a  throne  of  grace  in  the 
wild  forests,  on  the  craggy  mountains,  or  in  the  darkest 
dungeon.  Christ,  every  where  present,  knowing  all 
things  foresees  every  danger  and  the  very  place  where 
the  snare  is  laid  for  any  of  his  people;  he  knows  the  crafty 
steps  of  the  roaring  lion  who  goeth  about  seeking  whom 
he  may  devour;  and  he  can  give  all  necessary  grace  to 
conduct  his  people  through  all  their  difficulties  and  trials. 

3.  He  is  infinite  in  power.  He  measures  the  waters  of 
the  ocean  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand.  He  takes  up  the 
isles  as  a  very  little  thing.  He  supports  the  universe  by 
his  almisrhtv  arm.  He  does  as  he  pleases  in  the  armies  of 

2P 


298 

heaven  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  Angels 
fl}-  at  his  command;  devils  shrink  at  his  frowns;  sinners 
perish  with  the  breath  of  his  nostrils ;  but  believers  are 
safe  in  his  covenant.  O  he  is  the  mighty  God  of  Jacob, 
travelling  in  the  greatness  of  his  strength  able  to  save  to 
the  uttermost  all  who  come  unto  God  through  him. 

4.  He  is  unchangeable  in  his  truth  and  faithfulness.  If 
he  speaks,  it  must  stand  fast  for  ever.  His  promises  are 
yea  and  amen.  The  blessing  is  perfectly  secured  by  his 
word;  none  ever  trusted  him  in  vain.  The  mountains 
shall  depart  and  the  hills  be  removed  but  his  covenant 
shall  never  depart  from  his  people.  Heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  away  but  the  word  of  the  Lord  endureth  for 
ever. 

5.  He  is  just  and  holy.  This  renders  him  most  lovely 
and  excellent.  His  justice  is  the  radical  principle  of  his 
moral  excellence;  and  his  glory  is  founded  on  his  inflexi- 
ble justice:  God's  justice  is  dreadful  to  a  rebellious  sin- 
ner; but  it  is  the  guard  and  protection  of  his  covenan- 
ted people.  Justice  always  protects  where  there  is  no 
guilt;  and  guarantees  the  performance  of  all  lawful  con- 
tracts. He  who  is  interested  in  the  covenant  of  grace  is 
interested  in  the  covenant  of  redemption;  and  conse- 
quently is  interested  in  the  full  discharge  of  the  sinner 
from  guilt  and  condemnation ;  and  hence  the  apostle  Paul 
says,  God  can  be  just  and  the  justifier  of  him  Avho  be- 
lieveth  on  Jesus;  and  the  apostle  John  says,  he  is  faithful 
and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins. 

6.  Ill  the  last  place  Jesus  is  boundlessly  merciful. 
Why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel?  He  is  long  suffer- 
ing. He  has  been  known  to  weep  over  sinners.  How 
feelingly  he  pleads  with  them  to  accept  of  salvation.  He 
cautions  and  warns,  urges  motives  upon  motives,  and 
never  casts  out  one  that  comes.  Nothing  can  surpass  the 
description  of  tenderness  and  mercy  which  is  given  in 
the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son.  How  tenderly  he  deals 


299 

w^ith  his  people.  He  gentl}-  leads  the  weak,  and  carries 
the  lambs  in  his  bosom.  He  bears  with  their  weaknesses, 
fretfulncss,  and  unbelief.  He  corrects  with  a  fatherly  ten- 
derness; but  he  never  forgets  his  covenant. 

Upon  the  whole  what  a  glorious  Saviour  is  Christ! 
How  well  qualified  to  be  a  Mediator  and  to  negotiate 
with  sinners  and  to  conduct  the  great  affairs  of  his  king- 
dom. 

This  dignified  person,  officially  sent  from  the  court  of 
heaven  possessed  of  such  infinitely  glorious  qualifications, 
is  the  first  party ;  and  engages  in  the  first  part  of  the  co- 
venant of  grace.  Surely  if  sinners  knew  him  they  would 
most  cheerfully  engage  in  covenant  with  him;  and  if  be- 
lievers knew  him  better,  they  could  trust  their  eternal 
all  in  his  hands. 

Give  up  my  soul,  and  be  happy  for  ever. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

Believers  the  second  party  in  the  covenant  of  grace. 

After  the  exalted  view  which  the  scriptures  give  us  of 
the  glory  of  Christ;  what  an  awful  contrast  do  we  feel 
when  we  take  a  view  of  the  second  party  in  the  covenant 
of  grace.  Poor  fallen  Adam  and  the  chosen  part  of  his 
wretched  race  all  in  their  guilt  and  sin,  full  of  wounds, 
bruises,  and  putrefying  sores  present  themselves  to  our 
view  by  thousands ;  a  black  and  polluted  group  of  misera- 
ble creatures,  just  emerging  from  a  dungeon  of  death  and 
horror;  pained  to  the  heart  under  a  sense  of  wretched- 
ness and  woe,  coming  at  the  kind  invitations  of  the  gos- 
pel, holding  out  the  withered  hand  to  Jesus,  cr\  ing, 
Lord  save  me  or  I  perish.  O  my  soul  art  thou  amongst 
them?  Such  a  view  as  this  is  indeed  enough  to  melt  our 
hearts  in  gratitude,  love  and  wonder.  To  see  our  exaU 


300 

ted  God  surrounded  with  angels,  casting  'down  their 
erowns  at  his  feet  crying,  Holy!  Holy!  Holy!  is  a  sight 
awfull}''  glorious,  but  not  surprising;  but  to  see  him 
striking  hands,  confirming  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
a  hell  bom  sinner  to  redeem  him  at  the  expense  of  his 
own  blood,  is  enough  to  stop  ihe  harps  of  angels  for  a 
moment  to  gaze,  to  see  what  their  God  is  doing.  Have 
we  ever  felt  the  love  of  a  crucified  Saviour?  Such  love 
as  this  is  too  great  for  mortals;  it  gives  us  sensible  pain, 
by  making  us  happier  than  we  can  bear,  and  yet  we  are 
willing  to  die  with  the  exquisite  pleasure.  But  stay,  I 
must  not  forget  that  I  must  treat  the  subject  with  calm- 
ness and  candour. 

A  sinner  of  the  fallen  race  of  Adam,  a  rebel  by  nature 
and  by  practice  is  the  second  party  in  the  covenant  of 
grace.  He  has  the  conditional  part  to  fulfil;  and  in  fulfil- 
ing  the  condition  he  becomes  a  believer;  and  the  cove- 
nant is  confirmed  for  ever,  never  to  be  forgotten;  but  of 
this  more  in  its  proper  place.  Here  I  will  observe  the  fol- 
lowing things: 

1.  This  party  in  the  covenant  is  not  a  fallen  angel,  but 
a  fallen  man;  one  who  broke  covenant  with  God  by  eating 
the  forbidden  fruit  in  the  garden  of  Eden  and  exposed 
himself  to  all  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law.  Christ  did 
not  take  on  him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  the  nature  of 
the  seed  t)f  Abraham. 

2.  There  is  no  circumstance  whatsoever,  provided  he 
hears  the  gospel  and  performs  the  condition  proposed  in 
the  gospel  can  hinder  him  from  being  a  party  in  this  co- 
venant, because  it  is  freely  proposed  to  all  indiscriminately 
without  exception.  No  kind  or  degree  of  sin  or  crimi- 
nality whatever,  provided  as  above,  will  ever  be  an  objec- 
tion against  him.  Christ  came  not  to  call  the  righteous 
but  sinners  to  repentance. 

3.  The  true  character  of  this  party  is  that  he  is  a  sin- 
ner, guilty,  morally  vile,  helpless,  unable  to  save  himself, 


301 

by  nature  prone  toevil,  and  averse  from  every  thing  good, 
a  child  of  wrath  even  as  others,  without  any  thing  to  re- 
commend him  to  the  favour  of  God.  Such  is  the  unhappv 
state  of  every  one  who  is  invited  by  the  gosjxl;  and  as 
such  he  must  come  and  engage  in  this  blessed  covenant 
with  Christ.  *    - 

How  happy  would  it  be  for  sinners  were  they  sensible 
of  their  lost  state;  were  they  sensible  of  their  need  of  a 
Savioui,  and  would  be  persuaded  to  come  to  Christ  and 
enter  into  covenant  with  him,  before  it  is  for  ever  too  late. 

II.  Having  taken  a  view  of  the  parties  in  this  covenant 
we  come  now  to  consider  the  engagements  on  the  part  of 
Christ.  I  think  every  believer  must  feel  himself  interested 
here  and  catch  every  word  that  drops,  with  divine  autho- 
rity, from  his  dear  Redeemer's  lips.  The  question  no^v  is 
what  does  Christ  propose  and  engage  to  perform?  The 
life  of  our  souls  depends  on  this.  But  before  I  speak  to 
this  question  I  will  make  some  observations  which  I  hope 
will  have  a  tendency  to  impress  our  minds  with  a  sense  of 
the  boundless  love  and  goodness  of  our  dear  Redeemer 
and  to  encourage  us  to  accept  of  the  kind  offers  of  his 
grace. 

1.  What  he  propounds  in  this  covenant  is  from  first  to 
last  purely  disinterested.  It  is  true,  Christ  interests  him- 
self in  every  circumstance  of  his  people;  he  counts  them 
as  the  apple  of  his  eye;  and  in  consequence  of  his  en- 
gagements to  his  Father,  and  to  his  people,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  his  atonement  which  he  has  actuall}  made,  he 
is  dee  ply  interested  in  the  issue  of  what  he  has  done  and 
what  he  has  engaged  to  do.  His  truth,  his  faithfulness, 
and,  in  short,  his  whole  glory,  as  a  Mediator,  is  at  stake 
in  the  good  management  and  order  and  success  of  his 
kingdom.  But  when  we  consider  him  absolutely  inde- 
pendent of  all  his  creatures,  and  all  their  circumstances; 
Avhen  we  consider  that  he  is  in  and  of  himself  completely 
glorious  and  happy,  that  he  is  the  fountain  of  all  good. 


302 

and  that  none  or  all  his  creatures  can  add  any  thing  to 
liim,  in  whom  ail  fulness  dwells;  and  when  we  inquire 
into  the  first  cause  of  the  whole  plan  of  the  gospel,  we 
must  answer  with  gratitude  and  wonder  that  all  was  of 
his  mere  good  pleasure;  that  infinite,  boundless  and  un- 
changeable love  was  the  moting  spring  of  all.  "  God  so 
"  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son  that 
"  whosoever  belie veth  on  him  should  not  perish  but  have 
"  everlasting  life.  Fear  not  little  flock  for  it  is  your  Fa- 
"  ther's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.  I  lay 
*'down  my  life.  No  man  taketh  it  from  me;  but  I  lay  it 
*'  down  of  myself." 

2.  Weak  imperfect  men  often  change  in  their  resolu- 
tions; they  sometimes  fly  from  their  proposals  and  are 
often  inconstant  in  the  fulfilment  of  them ;  but  we-  can- 
not have  such  thoughts  of  Christ;  every  offer  of  grace  he 
makes  is  in  earnest.  Consequently  we  need  no  greater 
testimony  of  the  full  consent  of  Christ  on  his  part  of  the 
covenant  than  his  own  free  offer.  The  offers  of  the  gospel 
are  so  sincere,  and  such  an  uncontradictable  proof  of  the 
readiness  of  Christ  to  bestow,  that  many  of  our  most  emi- 
nent divines  have  uniformh/  called  them  promises.  But 
althou§;h  they  are  not  promises,  and  although  it  is  not 
proper  to  call  them  so,  yet  there  is  such  an  unchangeable 
firmness  in  those  overtures  made  to  sinners  that  they  are 
a  solid  foundation  to  proceed  upon  in  fulfilling  the  condi- 
tion on  which  they  are  made.  Whenever  the  condition  is 
fulfilled  the  believer  justly  claims  a  right  to  every  pro- 
posed blessing  on  the  solid  footing  of  covenanted  pro- 
mises; because  the  fulfilling  the  condition  induces  an  ob- 
ligation on  the  part  of  the  offerer  on  the  unchangeable 
basis  of  his  truth  and  faithfulness,  and  consequently  every 
overture  is  hereby  converted  into  an  unchangeable  pro- 
mise by  the  ratification  of  the  covenant  by  faith. 

Christ  offers  full  and  free  salvation  to  thousands  who  ne- 
ver receive  salvation ;  they  never  accept  of  the  offer;  they 


303 

never  fiiHii  the  conditions  on  whicli  the  oftcr  is  iviadL;  and 
conscqiK-ntl}  Christ  is  so  far  from  bcint^  under  any  ohhga- 
tion  bv  promise  to  bestow  the  salvation  whieh  he  otters 
that  the  very  condition  on  which  it  is  ofFercd  completely  bars 
the  possibility  of  the  Ijcstowment  of  the  oflered  grace  for 
want  of  the  fulfilment.  J'jut  whenever  the  condition  is  per- 
formed there  is  no  lack  of  engagement  on  Christ's  part; 
and  every  ofler  becomes  a  solid  promise;  and  the  believer 
ma}'  be  sure  of  the  performance.  This  is  great  encourage- 
ment indeed. 

3.  These  proposals  of  Christ  on  his  part  arc  equally  en- 
couraging to  all  sinners  to  wliom  they  are  made;  and  they 
are  the  leading  grounds  of  encouragement  to  any  sinner 
whatever.   No  one  sinner  under  the  gospel  can  possibly 
have  a  greater  right  than  another  previous  to  believing. 
No  gifts,  graces  or  qualitlications  whatsoever  can  give 
any  one  sinner  a  prior  right  to  another,  for  this  plain  rea- 
son, the  offer  is  made  without  distinction  to  every  one. 
"  Whosoever  \v'ill,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
"Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
It  is  a  grand  masterpiece  of  the  devil's  policy  to  blind 
the  eyes  of  sinners  in  this  important  article  of  the  gospel. 
(2  Cor.  4.  4.)  A  sinner  ought  always  to  take  encourage- 
ment from  the  offers  of  Christ.  If  Christ  calls,  surely  the 
sinner  may  venture.   Let  his  guilt,  sin  and  horrid  unwor- 
thincss  be  ever  so  great,  even  if  it  were  ten  times  greater 
than  it  is,  if  Christ  invites,  tlie  poor  wretch  should  always 
do  like  Mary,  when  Martha  came  and  told  her  "  The 
"  master  is  come  and  calleth  for  thee :  as  soon  as  she 
''  heard  that,  she  arose  quickly  and  came  unto  him."  "Zac- 
'^  cheus  come  down."  But  I  proceed  to  speak  to  the  ques- 
tion. \\'hat  does  Christ  engage  in  this  covenant  to  per- 
form "? 

1.  In  the  place,  as  the  only  meritorious  grotrnd^of 
every  blessing  of  the  covenant,  and  in  which  every  bless- 
ing is  comprised.   He  ensragcs  to  constitute  the  sinner 


304 

perfectly  righteous  by  the  imputation  of  his  own  perfect 
and  complete  righteousness  to  his  soul. 

This  righteousness  is  not  the  holiness  of  Christ.  It  is 
not  the  moral  purity  of  his  nature  either  divine  or  human. 
Holiness  cannot  be  imputed.  Holiness  is  the  direct  oppo- 
site of  sin.  Righteousness  is  the  direct  opposite  of  guilt. 
Perfect  perpetual  holiness  only  can  prevent  sin,  but  that 
holiness  must  be  the  person's  own;  it  cannot  be  wrought 
for  him;  it  must  be  in  him  before  he  can  be  counted  holy. 
This  plainly  shows  that  holiness  cannot  be  imputed;  and 
that  it  would  do  no  good  if  it  was  imputed;  for  unless  a 
man  has  holiness  in  his  heart  and  life  he  will  be  a  sinner; 
and  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  be  otherwise.  When  once 
a  man  ceases  to  be  personally  holy  he  is  a  sinner;  and 
nothing  but  sanctiiication  can  remove  his  sin;  for  nothing 
but  sanctification  can  restore  him  to  personal  holiness. 
But  sanctification  is  not  the  imputing  of  Christ's  holy 
life  to  the  soul;  but  it  is  the  Spirit's  work  in  the  soul 
transforming  it  into  the  holy  image  of  Christ. 

When  righteousness  is  imputed  it  instantaneously 
makes  the  sinner  righteous  by  removing  his  guilt;  and 
from  that  moment  he  is  no  more  under  condemnation  but 
in  a  state  of  perfect  and  complete  justification.  The  sin- 
ner is  a  sinner  attended  with  imperfections  still,  and  will 
be  so  until  he  is  perfectly  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
But  because  the  all-sufficient  merit  of  Christ's  atonement 
is  imputed  to  him  he  is  free  from  guilt.  "  For  there  is  no 
*'  condemnation  to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  that 
''  believeth  on  him  is  not  condemned."  This  is  the  righte- 
ousness of  God  without  the  law,  which  is  manifested  by 
the  gospel  and  imputed  to  believers  by  faith.  This  righ- 
teousness is  the  only  meritorious  cause  of  our  justifica- 
tion and  acceptance  with  God.  it  gives  us  a  full  and  com- 
plete'title  to  every  blessing  of  the  covenant  of  grace. 
The  first  thing  done  to  a  sinner  after  he  has  complied  with 
the  conditions  of  this  covenant  is  the  imputation  of  thi.s 


305 

lighteousness,  which  gives  the  believer  a  claim  to  every 
thing  treasured  up  in  the  gospel  for  his  complete  salvation. 
(2  Cor.  5.  21.) 

2.  He  engages  the  full  pardon  of  all  sin.  This  is  a 
most  inestimable  benelit.  The  poor  unhappy  creature  Is 
now  brought  from  under  the  curse  of  the  broken  law. 
Christ  says,  "  I  will  be  merciful  to  your  unrighteousness 
and  your  sins;  and  your  iniquities  I  will  remember  no 
more."  Pardon  is  a  free  gift  ewtircly  unmerited  by  the 
sinner,,  and  freely  bestowed  by  the  imputation  of  the 
righteousness  of  Christ.  The  proper  notion  of  pardon  is 
this:  not  that  God  withholds  from  punishment  through 
his  mere  clemency,  when  he  might  infiict  the  penalty  on 
the  principles  of  justice;  but  it  is  a  more  glorious  and 
exalted  idea:  he  views  the  believer  as  not  guilty,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  spotless  righteousness  which  he  has  in  Christ 
Jesus  his  glorious  Surety;  and  consequently  pronounces 
him  justified  in  his  sight.  There  are  two  things  said  to 
be  in  justification:  one  is,  not  to  pronounce  guilty;  the 
other  is,  to  pronounce  righteous.  But  this  distinction  is 
more  in  idea,  than  any  thing  else.  There  is  no  medium 
betwixt  guilt  and  righteousness;  he  who  is  guilty,  is  not 
righteous;  and  he  who  has  no  guilt  must  be  righteous  of 
course.  Whenever  the  verdict,  not  guilty,  is  pronounced, 
the  judge  must  justify;  and  whenever  the  righteousness 
of  Christ  is  imputed,  not  guilty  is  infallibly  the  verdict, 
and  justification  the  glorious  consequence. 

Justification  is  not  a  work  of  God  in  us,  but  an  act  of 
God  for  us.  It  is  done  and  recorded  in  heaven;  rejoice 
rather  says  Christ,  because  your  names  are  writteii  in 
heaven.  Consequently  justification  cannot  be  known  by 
the  feeling  of  the  heart.  Those  who  ground  their  hopes 
of  pardon  on  the  light,  or  happy  feelings  which  they 
suddenly  experience  in  their  hearts  are  liable  to  dreadful 
mistakes  in  one  of  the  most  important  articles  of  salva- 
tion. A  false  hope,  a  satanic  injection,  or  a  mere  fancv, 

2Q 


306 

i£  depended  on,  will  produce  the  very  same  effect.  But 
there  is  a  sense  of  pardon  truly  genuine,  which  will  pro- 
duce perfect  peace  of  mind,  which  is  not  even  liable  to 
deception.  It  uniformly  consists  in  an  unquestionable 
consciousness  of  a  hearty  compliance  with  the  condition 
of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  consequently  a  firm  depen- 
dence on  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed  to  the  soul 
according  to  the  unchangeable  engagements  of  Christ  in 
this  covenant;  which  always  must  bring  forward  this  in- 
ference, even  that  the  soul  is  perfectly  justified  in  the 
sight  of  God.  So  that  it  is  by  faith  we  know  our  justifi- 
cation; and  the  ground  of  this  faith  is  the  validity  of 
Christ's  righteousness,  and  the  unchangeable  stability  of 
the  covenant  of  grace.  It  is  to  be  sincerely  wished  that 
those  who  talk  of  happiness,  and  of  a  load  of  guilt  re- 
moved, yet  cannot  tell  any  thing  more  about  it,  or  those 
who  formed  such  notions  on  sudden  sights,  texts,  or 
voices,  &c.  would  try  to  understand  the  gospel  better, 
and  get  a  scriptural  ground  of  hope,  lest  they  be  disap- 
pointed when  it  is  too  late  to  alter  their  condition. 

3.  Adoption  is  another  precious  benefit  of  this  cove- 
nant which  Jesus  engages  to  the  believer. 

This  filled  the  beloved  disciple  wkh  holy  wonder: 
"  behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
"  on  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God."  We 
may  well  say  in  this  case,  as  the  chief  captain  said  to 
Paul,  "with  a  great  sum  obtained  I  this  freedom;"  for 
we  are  not  free  born.  "  I  will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and 
"  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters  saith  the  Lord  Al- 
"  mighty."  The  righteousness  of  Christ,  which  removes 
guilt  and  obtains  acceptance  with  God,  is  the  only  ground 
of  adoption.  Jesus  purchased  this  privilege  for  his  people 
by  his  own  blood.  We  are  predestinated  to  the  adop- 
tion of  children  by  Jesus  Christ.  "  Now  therefore,  says 
"  Paul,  ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but 
^  fellow  citizens  widi  the  saints  and  of  the  household  of 


307 
..  God.  God  sent  forth  his  Son  made  of  a  woman,  mado 
-under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  were  under  the 
"  law,  that  we  might  reecive  the  adoption  of  sons.  And 
•'  because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  lorth  the  Sp.nt  of 
"  his  Son  into  your  hearts  ery.ng  Abba,  Father;  where- 
.'  fore  thou  art  no  more  a  serva.U,  but  a  son-,  and  if  a  son, 
"  then  an  heir  of  God  through  Christ." 

There  are  three  things  contained  in  adoption;  Ood  is 
our  Father.  We  are  his  children;  and  we  are  heirs  ol  his 
kingdom.  We  know  our  adoption  in  part,  the  same  ^v^y 
by  which  we  know  our  justification;  for  it  is  miposs.ble 
for  us  to  know  our  interest  in  Christ  without  knowmg 
both  our  justification  and  adoption;  also  our  receiving 
the  spirit  ofad  .ption,  or  a  filial  temper  of  heart  towards 
God  as  our  heavenly  Father  is  a  scriptural  evidence  of 
our  adoption.  But.  alas,  we  are  often  froward  children. 
But  blessed  be  God,  the  privilege  is  purchased  ior  us, 
and  secured  bv  Christ  in  this  glorious  covenant. 

4.  Sanctification  is  another  inestimable  blessing,  for 
which  Christ  engages  to  believers  in  the  covenant  of 
erace.  This  is  the  grand  object  in  view  in  this  covenant. 
Hence  Paul  says,  "  This  is  the  will  of  God  even  your 
"  sanctification."  Holiness  is  ahvays  necessary  to  h;tppi- 
nessi  without  it  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.  Chris    m 
covenaming  with  his  people  says    "     will  put  my  hws 
"  into  their  mind  and  write  them  m  their  hear  s.     Hoi  - 
ness  to  the  Lord  is  the  grand  inscription  of  the  gospe 
We  are  chosen  in  Christ,  "  that  we  should  be  holy  and 
"  without  blame  before  him  in  love.  And  the  very  God 
"  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly;  and  your  whole  spirit  and 
..  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming 
-of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faithful  is  he  that  calleth 
"you  and  will  do  it."  Four  ihioj^s  take  place  m  conse- 
ouence  of  sanctification. 

1    Love.  Here  I  include  love  to  God  and  to  every 
thing  that  is  holy.  Holiness  is  tlie  particular  attnictmg 


308 

excellence  of  the  beloved  object  of  holy  affections ;  and 
because  God  is  infinitely  possessed  of  it,  he  is  the  su- 
preme object  of  the  believer's  love.  Yet  the  believer  can 
never  feel  his  affections  to  God  very  strong,  unless  he  is 
lively  in  the  exercise  of  faith.  Faith  not  only  believes  (so 
to  speak)  that  God  is  holy,  but  also  takes  realizing  views 
of  his  glory;  this  sets  the  affections  afloat;  and  the  heart 
feels  delighted  in  God  as  a  God  of  spotless  perfections 
and  excellence.  Our  affections  are  often  felt  more  sen- 
sibly going  out  in  complacency  to  God's  people,  because 
they  are  present  to  our  view;  and  we  need  not  (at  least  so 
much)  the  medium  of  faith,  either  to  see  their  excellence, 
or  to  hold  communion  with  them;  and  we  always  ima- 
gine a  christian  a  thousand  times  more  holy  than  he 
really  is;  because  his  imperfections  are  mostly  hid  from 
us;  and  it  is  beyond  our  philosophy  to  think  them  half 
as  bad  as  we  feel  ourselves  to  be.  Even  Paul  must  call 
himself  the  chief  of  sinners  and  less  than  the  least  of  all 
saints;  but  here  the  venerable  apostle  spoke  as  he  felt, 
not  as  he  thought;  for  he  well  knew  that  he  was  not  a 
whit  behind  the  chiefest  of  them,  although  he  felt  him- 
self nothing;  here  he  spoke  as  he  thought  and  felt  both. 
But  let  us  think  and  feel  as  we  may,  we  are  always 
sure  to  feel  our  love  to  holiness;  not  a  mere  approbation 
of  it;  for  devils  and  wicked  men  feel  that  always;  but  a 
cordial  delight  in  it.  Believers  do  not  feel  this  delight 
without  alloy;  for  then  the  work  of  sanctification  would 
be  over;  they  also  love  sin,  and  hate  it  too;  and  often, 
and  always  in  some  degree,  commit  sin  in  every  thing 
they  do,  and  hate  themselves  for  it.  The  flesh  lusting 
against  the  spirit,  and  the  spirit  against  the  flesh,  often 
distracts  the  believer  and  makes  him  cry  "O  wretched 
*'  man  that!  am!"  Yet  there  is  no  surer  sign  of  holiness 
than  this  very  thing;  and  it  never  is,  but  in  those  who 
are  in  covenant  with  Christ. 


309 

Love  to  God  and  holiness  have  an  abiding  seat  in  the 
heart.  There  may  be  a  stroni^  habit  of  love  even  at  times 
when  it  is  very  little  felt;  and  we  are  often  necessarily, 
and  often  foolishly  diverted  oft'  our  beloved  object;  yet 
the  heart  is  possessed  of  irradicablc  affections.  Genuine 
love  is  a  cool  rational  principle  which  takes  its  time  to 
iix  upon  its  object,  and  always  fixes  with  judgment;  and 
when  fixed,  it  holds  fast  and  never  can  alter  while  our 
view  of  the  object  remains  the  same.  Sometimes  it  raises 
a  storm  in  the  passions;  and  very  often  in  such  cases  the 
heart  is  quite  ungoernable,  and  very  often  with  its  lofty 
strides  tramples  many  humble  graces  all  but  to  death, 
those  who  are  too  often  addicted  to  such  towering  affec- 
tions are  sure  to  lack  some  of  the  most  beautiful  graces 
of  a  christian.  Yoimg  believers  are  very  apt  to  be  trying 
their  wings ;  but  it  is  always  safer  to  walk  than  to  fly,  at 
least  too  high,  until  Me  have  learned  where  our  great 
strength  lieth.  No  ship  can  skim  the  waves  like  the 
nimble  cutter;  but  she  never  has  half  the  grandeur,  the 
strength  or  the  riches  of  the  noble  merchantman,  or  the 
man  of  war  who  sails  steady  and  imiform. 

Upon  the  whole  that  love  which  is  produced  by  sunc- 
tification  is  a  hearty  attachment  to,  and  a  complacence 
or  delight  in  that  which  is  morally  right.  Believers  love 
sin  too  much;  but  unsanctified  sinners  never  love  holi- 
ness. Here  is  the  scriptural  difference  betwixt  a  sancti- 
fied and  an  unsanctified  soul;  the  believer  is  often,  and 
always  m  some  degree  like  the  unbeliever;  but  the  un- 
believer is  never  like  him.  The  believer  does  often  and 
in  some  degree  always  love  sin;  but  the  unbeliever, 
although  he  like  his  father  the  devil  always  approves  of 
holiness,  as  right  and  excellent,  yet  he  never  loves  it. 
There  is  a  great  difference  betwixt  the  approbation  of 
the  judgment  and  the  relish  of  the  heart;  every  well  in- 
formed man  has  the  one,  but  only  believers  have  the 
other. 


310 

We  must  agree  to  these  things,  unless  we  hold  to  per- 
fection in  holiness,  and  deny  the  necessity  of  the  progress 
of  sanctification;  and  we  must  acknowledge  imperfection 
and  consequently  the  necessity  of  sanctification  carried 
on  in  the  believer  gradually,  unless  we  mean  to  shut  our 
bible  and  make  religion  to  be  any  thing  or  nothing  just 
as  we  please. 

I  have  often  been  pained  to  the  heart,  to  hear  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  christian  painted  from  the  pulpit  with 
such  high  colouring  that  no  christian  this  side  of  time 
ever  attained  half  way  to  it ;  and  the  preacher's  own  heart 
at  the  same  time  was  no  doubt  an  instance  of  the  false 
description.  There  is  a  wide  difference  betwixt  the  rules 
of  religion,  and  the  attainments  of  the  imperfect  christian; 
and  when  we  condemn  all  those  who  do  not  attain  to  the 
perfect  rules  of  the  bible,  we  condemn  every  christian  in 
this  world  of  imperfection.  Thus  christians  are  kept 
for  ever  doubting;  and  their  views  are  turned  entirely  to 
the  perfection  of  the  moral  law,  as  the  only  ground  of 
their  hope ;  and  they  scarcely  ever  think  of  believing  or 
looking  to  the  righteousness  of  Christ  as  the  only  ground 
of  their  salvation,  or  of  resting  on  the  stability  of  the 
covenant  of  grace. 

The  least  degree  of  the  love  of  holiness  is  a  covenant 
earnest  of  the  whole  kingdom;  and  Christ  will  give  mor€ 
according  to  his  own  plan,  and  in  his  own  way;  for  he 
is  engaged  to  do  it  by  an  everlasting  covenant. 

I  have  been  the  more  particular  on  the  article  of  love, 
as  it  is  the  leading  principle  of  all  the  rest.  I  proceed  to 
observe, 

2.  That  hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness  is 
another  effect  of  sanctification.  (Mat.  5.6.) 

Jesus  Christ  pronounces  the  man  blessed  who  hungers 
and  thirsts  after  righteousness,  and  gives  him  a  covenant 
promise  that  he  shall  be  filled;  which  plainly  proves  that 
he  who  hungers  and  thirsts  after  righteousness  has  fulfil 


311 

led  the  conditions  of  the  covenant,  or  in  other  words,  has 
believed  on  Christ.  When  a  special  characteristic  is 
designated  in  a  promise,  that  characteristic  must  be  a  con- 
sequence of  faith;  for  Christ  gives  no  promise  to  an  un- 
believer in  no  shape  or  character  whatsoever;  neither 
does  he  give  any  covenant  blessing  to  an  unbeliever: 
"  He  that  belie veth  not  shall  be  damned."  But  he  en- 
gages the  general  blessings  of  the  whole  gospel  to  him 
who  hungers  and  thirsts  after  righteousness;  for  he 
saith,  "  he  shall  be  filled."  Blessed  words,  dropping 
from  the  lips  of  a  faithful  God! 

The  heart  going  out  in  longing  desires  is  hungering 
and  thirsting.  When  these  desires  are  for  things  morally 
good,  such  as  holiness,  conformity  to  God's  wUl,  delive- 
rance from  sin  and  corruption,  views  of  God's  glory, 
and  divine  excellence,  communion  with  him,  &c.  then 
we  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness.  The  covenant 
engagement  is,  they  shall  be  filled;  not  now  or  at  this  or  that 
time,  nor  yet  at  any  time  when  the  believer  pleases;  but 
when  Christ  pleases,  who  has  the  blessing  to  bestow, 
and  according  to  what  rule  or  process  he  sees  fit  to  adopt. 
But  the  engagement  is  the  hungry  soul  shall  in  a  proper 
time  be  infinitely  satisfied  with  every  real  good.  What  a 
glorious  promise  is  this  I  ye  hungry  souls  wait  upon  the 
Lord,  "  for  you  shall  be  filled."  ''  He  that  ccmcth  to  mc 
"  shall  never  hunger;  and  he  that  believeih  on  me  shall 
"never  thirst"  (John  6.  35.):  that  is,  shall  never  perish 
with  want. 

3.  Repentance  is  another  branch  of  sanctification;  and 
Christ  is  engaged  to  give  it,  exalted  at  his  Father's  right 
hand  for  this  very  purpose.  Love  to  holiness  is  the  first 
principle  of  true  gospel  repentance.  Repentance  is  a 
word  of  different  meaning  in  the  bible;  sometimes  it  re- 
lates to  the  proper  act  of  faith  in  its  closing  with  Christ; 
(Acts  2.  38.)  the  consequence  of  which  is  forgiveness  of 
sin;  which  every  man  of  sense  knows  is  the  coasequence 


312 

of  faith  only.  But  there  is  another  sense  of  repentance 
which  the  scriptures  give  us  which  is  not  the  act  of  faith 
but  the  consequence  of  it,  and  consequently  a  branch  of 
holiness;  which  is  an  effect  of  Christ's  performing  his  part 
of  the  covenant,  when  the  condition  is  performed  on  the 
part  of  the  sinner.  This  is  evident  from  Ezek.  36.  31. 
taken  in  connexion  with  the  preceding  verses  from  the 
25th  particularly.  This  kind  of  repentance  is  very  beau- 
tifully described  in  the  2d  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  7th 
chap.  9,  10  and  1 1  verses,  where  it  gets  the  name  of  re- 
pentance. Also  in  the  12th  chap,  of  Zech.  from  the  20th 
verse  downward.  But  as  1  intend  to  treat  the  important 
doctrine  of  repentance  in  course,  I  shall  say  no  more  about 
it  here,  but  only  observe  that  it  makes  one  essential  arti- 
cle which  Christ  engages  to  give  to  believers  in  his  part 
of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

4.  Obedience,  or  the  holy  life  which  christians  endea- 
vour to  live,  and  which  they  attain  unto  in  some  degree, 
is  a  very  important  branch  of  sanctification  which  Christ 
engages,  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  to  give  to  believers.  This 
is  a  very  critical  article  in  divinity;  and  I  will  endeavour 
to  treat  this  subject  with  care  in  its  proper  place.  At  pre- 
sent I  only  observe  that  every  disposition  to  obedience  to 
God's  moral  law,  disposing  and  enabling  the  christian  to 
live  holy  is  an  instance  of  the  faithfulness  of  Christ  in 
performing  his  engagements  in  the  covenant  of  grace. 

5.  I  shall  in  the  last  place,  just  mention  in  a  summary 
way  that  Jesus  Christ  engages  to  give,  and  daily  to  com- 
municate those  graces  by  such  means  and  in  such  a  de- 
gree as  he  in  his  infinite  wisdom  sees  fit;  and  so  he  en- 
gages to  conduct  the  believer  through  all  the  difficulties 
and  trials  of  this  life,  to  assist  him  in  the  discharge  of  all 
the  duties  of  religion,  and  to  render  his  person  and  ser- 
vices acceptable  to  God.  So  that  through  life,  at  death  and 
the  tremendous  day  of  judgment,  and  throughout  eter- 
nity, Christ  by  his  own  righteousness  and  Spirit,  accord- 


313 

iiig  to  his  own  faitliful  promise,  becomes  the  surety  in  this 
covenant  for  the  complete  liappiness  and  glory  of  his  co- 
venanted people. 

I  have  omitted  the  intercession  of  Ciirtst  in  this  place 
because  it  is  by  the  intercession  o|"  Christ,  pleading  the 
Jnerits  of  his  own  death,  that  all  these  blessings  are  ob- 
tained  and  all  these  promises  arc  fulfilled  to  believers; 
and  of  this  most  efficacious  intercession  we  will  have  oc- 
casion to  speak  in  its  proper  place. 

But  here  it  is  proper  to  note  that  c\er  memorable  pro- 
mise of  Christ  to  his  disciples:  "  I  will  pray  the  Father, 
"and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may 
"abide  with  you  for  ever."  Thus  we  see  that  Christ  not 
only  engages  the  bestowment  of  all  necessary  grace  but 
also  promises  by  his  intercession  to  take  such  measures 
as  will  infallibly  secure  the  bestowment  of  grace  to  all 
those  who  are  interested  in  this  covenant. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

What  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace  is  has 
been  a  matter  of  dispute  among  divines.  Some  say  it  is 
the  righteousness  of  Christ;  others  that  it  is  faith.  As  to 
the  fundamental  plan  of  salvation  I  make  no  doubt  all 
agree,  however  differently  they  have  expressed  themselves 
on  this  point.  And  I  apprehend  die  difference  of  senti- 
ment has  arisen  from  a  mistake  as  to  the  particular  ques- 
tion under  consideration.  Those,  who  say  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  speak  of  the  meritorious  cause  of  justifica- 
tion. Those,  who  say  faith,  speak  of  the  condition  en  which 
that  righteousness  is  imputed ;  and  they  are  both  perfectly 
right;  but  they  are  treating  quite  different  subjects.  When 
the  question  is,  how  is  a  sinner  justified  in  the  sight  of 

2R 


314 

God?  if  you  mean  the  meritorious  cause  the  proper  an- 
swer is,  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  But  if  you  mean 
the  condition  on  which  that  righteousness  is  imputed  to 
the  sinner,  the  proper  answer  is  faith.  This  is  certainly 
the  apostle's  idea.  (Rom.  3.  22.)  "Even  the  righteous- 
"  ness  of  God,  wdiich  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  all 
"  and  upon  all  who  believe,"  and  chap.  5.  1.  "  Therefore 
^'  being  justified  by  faith  we  have  peace  with  God  through 
"  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  There  is  nothing  more  evident 
from  the  scripture  than  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
is  our  only  justifying  righteousness,  and  that  faith  is  the 
only  condition  on  which  that  righteousness  will  be  im- 
puted. "  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  be- 
"  lieveth  not  shall  be  damned." 

But  when  we  speak  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
being  the  condition  of  the  covenant  our  idea  is  not  cor- 
rect. Christ's  righteousness,  properly  speaking,  cannot 
be  the  condition  of  any  covenant.  It  was  not,  properly, 
the  condition  of  the  covenant  of  redemption.  The  condi- 
tion of  that  covenant  which  Christ  had  to  perform  was 
properly  to  make  the  atonement  by  suffering  on  the  cross; 
and  by  fulfilling  that  condition  he  procured  or  wrought  out 
that  righteousness  which  is  offered  on  Christ's  part  to  the 
guilty  sinner  in  the  covenant  of  grace.  So  that  his  righte- 
ousness is  not  the  condition  in  either  of  the  covenants,  but 
only  the  consequence  of  Christ's  death;  which  death  was 
the  condition  of  the  one  covenant;  but  the  offer  of  righte- 
ousness made  to  sinners  is  the  consequence  of  this  death; 
which  righteousness  is  imputed  to  sinners  on  the  proper 
condition  of  faith. 

We  ought  always  to  remember  that  there  is  a  great  dif- 
ference betwixt  inquiring,  as  to  our  proper  title  to  justi- 
fication, and  how  we  become  possessed  of  that  title;  the 
one  is  the  righteousness  of  Christ  only,  the  other  is  by 
faiih;  the  one  is  imputed  to  us  in  consequence  of  the 
other;  the  one  is  Christ's  to  give  on  his  part  of  the  cove- 


315 


nant,  the  other  is  ours  to  perform  as  tlie  only  eondition 
on  which  the  gift  of  righteousness  is  imputed.  It  is  true, 
faith  is  a  gift; '  but  we  must  act  it,  that  is,  we  must  believe 
or  we  must  be  damned. 

Some  object  to  faith  as  a  condition  iDCcaus'j  it  is  not 
meritorious.  But  it  is  not  necessary  that  a  condition  of  a 
covenant  should  be  meritorious.  It  may  or  it  may  not  be 
so.  The  condition  is  always  according  to  the  ^vill  of  the 
parties  contracting,  and  especially  according  to  the  will  of 
the  first  party  in  the  covenant.  The  condition  may  be  up 
to  the  full  value  of  the  thing  contracted  for,  as  it  was  in 
the  covenant  of  redemption,  where  Christ  had  to  purchase 
liis  people  with  a  full  redemption  up  to  the  infinite  de- 
mand of  justice.  Or  it  may  be  for  one  half,  or  one  fourth, 
or  an}-  part  of  the  value  of  the  benefit  contracted  for,  just 
according  as  the  agreement  may  be.    Or  the  condition 
may  be  such  as  to  retpiire  nothing  but  the  mere  consent 
of  tlie  party  who  receives  the  benefit.  All  covenants  by 
way  of  gift  are  of  this  nature.  Ephron  desired  to  make 
such  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  (Gen.  23.)  and  give  his 
field  and  the  cave  in  it,  but  Abraham  would  not  consent 
to  the  conditions.   So  also  was  the  contract  betwixt  Or- 
nan  and  king  David  for  his  threshing  floor.  (1  Chron.  25.) 
The  covenant  of  grace  has  faith  as  the  only  condition, 
that  it  might  be  by  grace.  But  although  faith  is  not  me- 
ritorious in  itself,  'yet  it  secures  the  blessings  of  the  gos- 
pel by  a  covenant  compact  in  consequence  of  the  truth  and 
fluthfulness  of  Christ  who  was  pleased  to  overture  the 
blessings  on  this  very  condition;  and  when  the  condition 
is  perfo\-med  the  believer  has  his  claim,  not  by  purchase, 
but  by  covenant  right,  and  consequently  has  a  ground  of 
conso'lation  founded  on  unmerited  grace  as  strong  as  un- 
changeable truth  and  faithfulness  can  make  it. 

Again.  It  is  objected  to  fa'itli  as  a  condition,  because 
faith  is  a  gift  of  God.  I  confess  that  faith  is  a  gift  of  God^ 
but  I  can  sec  no  reason  why  it  may  not  be  a  condition 


316 

nevertheless.  It  is  evident  that  God  the  Father  gives  faith, 
and  not  Christ  as  a  Mediator.  The  Father  gives  it  as  a 
fulfilment  of  his  promise  to  his  Son,  on  the  condition  of 
Christ's  purchase,  according  to  the  covenant  of  redemp- 
tion. If  therefore  the  Father  gives  faith  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  part  of  the  covenant  with  his  Son,  faith  must  be  a  con- 
ditional article  in  Christ's  compact  with  his  people,  by 
which  according  to  the  terms  of  the  gospel  they  become 
personally  interested  in  the  blessings  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  and  consequently  is  the  only  stipulated  condition  of 
that  covenant. 

God  promised  to  Christ  saying,  "  thy  people  shall  be 
willing  in  the  day  of  thy  power;  Ps.   110.  3.  also  that 
he  shall  see  his  seed;   that   he   shall  see  the  travail  of 
his  soul;  that  he  shall  justify  many;  &c.  Is.  53.  and  in 
chap.  54.  13.  "  Thy  children  shall  be  all  taught  of  the 
"  Lord."   Our  Saviour  alluding  to  these  engagements  of 
his  Father,  M'ith  the  firmest  confidence  saith,  "  all  that 
"  the  Father  hath  given  me  shall  come  to  me."  He  affirms 
that  none  can  come  unto  him  except  the  Father  draw 
them;  and  that  they  who  hear  and  learn  of  the  Father, 
cometh  unto  him.  John,  6.  37,  44,  45.   This  is  still  fur- 
ther evident  from  Phil.  1.  29.  where  it  is  said  that  it  is 
given  in  the  behalf  of  Christ  to  believe  on  him.  Now,  as 
faith  is  the  gift  of  the  Father,  it  is  very  proper  for  it  to 
be  proposed  as  a  condition  by  the  Son,  to  his  people; 
and  it  truly  sets  the  whole  plan  in  a  glorious  view,  when 
we  consider  the  Father  as  engaged  in  covenant  with  the 
Son,  to  insure  the  performance  of  the  condition,   by 
which  the  believer  obtains  a  personal  right  in  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  to  all  the  blessings  overtured  in  the  gospel. 
Thus  the  Father  performs  his  engagements  to  his  Son, 
in  bringing  all  to  him,  '\vhom  he  had  given  to  him;  and 
the  Son,  according  to  hi5  proposals  in  the  gospei,  casts 
out  none,  but  gives  everlasting  life  to  all  who  come  unta 


317 

The  way  in  which  God  gives  faith  docs  not  hinder  it 
Lobe  properly  a  condition  ol  the  covenant,  even  if  it  were 
the  gift  of  Christ  himself.  Faith  is  an  act  of  the  will,  and 
consequently  can  be  produced  no  other  way  than  b}  per- 
suasion. It  never  can  be  improper  for  any  person  who 
chooses  so  to  do,  to  bring  forward  every  proper  motive 
to  induce  the  other  party  to  agree  to  the  terms  of  tlic 
covenant  he  mav  wish  to  make  with  him;  and  the  cstai)- 
lishment  of  the  covenant  may,  and  often  does,  depend  on 
the  influence  of  those  very  motives;  and  when  the  con- 
sent is  gained,  it  cannot  disannul  the  covenant  that  argu- 
ments ever  so  weight}-  were  used  to  gain  consent.  Thus 
God  b}  his  word  and  Spirit  persuades  the  sinner  to  yield 
to  the  condition  of  the  gospel,  and  thus  he  gives  faith. 
But  yet  the  sinner  being  persuaded  by  the  word  of  God 
brought  home  to  the  heart  by  the  Spirit,  performs  the 
act  of  faith  himself,  and  properly  comes  up  to  the  terms 
of  the  gospel;  and  by  so  doing  becomes  personally  inter- 
ested in  the  blessings  of  the  covenant  by  faith  as  a  proper 
condition. 

This  view  of  the  matter  is  certainly  agreeable  to  the 
account  which  we  have  of  the  gospel  plan  in  the  bible. 
We  may  indeed  talk  differently,  and  think  differently  on 
this  subject;  but  let  us  say  and  think  as  we  may,  we 
never  can  alter  the  eternal  plan  of  the  gospel.  It  still 
holds  good,  and  will  to  the  end  of  time;  that  "  he  that 
"  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life;  but  he  that 
"  believeth  not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life;  Init  the  wrath 
"  of  God  abidcth  on  him."  John  S.  30. 


.318 


CHAPTER \. 

The  nature  of  fa'itJi^  or  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of 
grace. 

Faith  is  one  of  the  most  important  doctrines  of  the 
bible.  It  is  the  only  condition  proposed  in  the  gospel  by 
which  it  is  possible  for  a  sinner  to  be  interested  in  the 
righteousness  of  Christ.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  be 
saved  without  it.  There  is  no  promise  in  the  gospel 
made  to  an  unbeliever.  We  must  believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  or  we  must  be  damned.  Faith  is  simple  in 
its  nature,  but  important  in  its  consequences,  and  very 
extensive  as  to  the  various  objects  of  its  exercise.  Faith, 
in  itself,  is  the  act  of  the  will  consenting  to  the  offer  of 
the  gospel.  Salvation  is  the  assured  consequence  of  it; 
and  it  is  exercised  on  ail  the  promises  in  the  bible. 

We  ought  to  have  clear  ideas  of  the  nature  of  faith.  It 
is  a  matter  of  such  interesting  importance,  that  our  ideas 
of  the  gospel  plan  must  be  very  confused  unless  we  have 
clear  ideas  of  faith.  Whenever  we  are  confused  in  our 
notions  of  faith,  we  imagine  the  gospel  to  be  hard;  and 
that  it  is  a  difficult  thing  for  a  sinner  to  be  saved;  we 
feel  discouragements  in  all  our  hopes  of  salvation*;  doubts 
and  fears  reign  in  our  mind;  and  we  can  enjoy  but  small 
degrees  of  the  comforts  of  religion. 

But  when  we  can  see  and  feel  that  faith  is  simply  to 
come  to  Christ  by  the  easy  act  of  the  choice  of  the  mind 
and  can  trust  our  eternal  all  in  the  hands  of  a  faithful 
Saviour,  then  there  is  nothing  appears  more  easy,  plain, 
or  solid  than  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

I  have  said  that  fliith  is  the  act  of  the  will.  The  soul 
consents  to  the  offers  of  the  gospel.  The  heart  chooses 
to,  be.  saved  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ  according  to 


319 

ihc  gospel  plan.  The  gospel  proposes  the  benefits  of  sal- 
vation freely  to  the  helpless  sinner.  Faith  is  to  accept  of 
or  agree  to  those  jiroposals.  The  bible  lays  the  plan  of 
the  gospel  before  the  sinner;  viz.  justification  by  the  im- 
puted righteousness  of  Christ,  and  sanctification  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Faith  gives  up  to  the  plan,  and  the  mind 
is  willing,  and  actually  chooses,  and  consents  to  be  savcil 
according  to  this  j^lan.  When  I  am  explaining  the  nature 
of  faith  in  the  pulpit,  using  a  simplicity  and  freedom  of 
language  so  as  to  be  easily  understood,  I  sometimes  sav, 
it  is  giving  up  to  Christ;  giving  up  the  heart  to  Christ; 
giving  up  to  the  gospel;  accepting  the  oflers  of  the 
gospel;  willing  to  be  saved  by  Christ;  willing  for 
Christ  to  save  the  whole  soul;  willing  to  be  pardoned 
by  his  imputed  righteousness,  and  sanctified  by  his 
Spirit.  Sometimes  I  use  scripture  phrases,  such  as, 
coming  to  Christ,  receiving  Christ,  looking  to  Christ, 
opening  the  door  of  the  heart,  &c.  If  the  reader  will  take 
any  one  of  the  above  phrases  or  explanations,  and  put 
the  most  simple  and  easy  sense  he  possibly  can  upon  it; 
he  can  hardly  miss  understanding  what  faith  is;  and  the 
more  simple  and  easy  he  makes  it  to  be,  the  more  accu- 
rate will  his  notion  of  faith  be;  because  faith  is  the 
easiest  thing  that  can  possibly  be,  to  be  any  thing  at  all. 
Indeed  it  is  all  but  nothing;  and  the  soul  that  acts  it, 
does^iothing,  but  consent  for  Christ  to  do  all. 

Let  us  feel  it  ever  so  hard  to  believe,  we  should  never 
think  it  hard  to  believe;  because  we  sometimes  find  it 
difficult  to  do  things  which  in  themselves  are  very  easily 
done.  There  is  nothing  can  possibly  be  easier  than  to 
consent;  yet  if  we  are  not  willing  we  will  find  that  easiest 
thing,  the  hardest  thing  in  the  world  to  do.  If  an}-  man 
finds  by  experience  that  the  want  of  an  inclination  makes 
it  difficult,  or  impossible  for  him  to  believe,  (and  no 
other  reason  can  he  possibly  find)  I  am  certain  that  man 
ought  to  be  damned;  for  he  might  get  salvation  given  to 


32dr 

him  freely  on  very  easy  terms,  even  on  his  consent  to 
receive  it.  But  we  should  never  say  that  faith  is  hard  in 
itself,  because  we  are  not  persuaded  to  believe. 

Wc  sometimes  falsely  imagine  that  because  faith  is 
the  gift  of  God,  it  must  be  some  great  thing,  almost,  and 
sometimes  altogether  impossible  for  any  mere  man  to 
perform;  and  under  those  false  notions  of  the  magnitude 
of  faith  we  never  attempt  to  act  it,  carelessly  or  fretfully 
■waiting  on  God  to  perform  it  for  us.  We  forget  that 
God  gives  it  only  by  persuading  us  to  consent  to  the 
gospel.  And  even  when  we  are  persuaded,  and  do  ac- 
tually consent  to  Christ  as  our  only  Saviour,  we  are  still 
waiting  for  the  gift  of  faith;  for  while  we  have  such  no- 
tions of  the  exceeding  greatness  of  faith,  we  cannot  think 
that  such  a  great  thing  as  the  gift  of  God,  can  be  so  little 
a  thing  as  the  consent  of  the  will;  and  under  these  views, 
when  we  try  to  believe  we  are  trying  to  do  something  we 
scarcely  know  what;  but  it  is  sure  to  be  something  ten 
times  greater  than  faith  is;  and  consequently  something 
which  we  cannot  do,  for  we  can  do  nothing  else. 

Not  only  so,  but  we  often  bewilder  ourselves  by  blend- 
ing  faith  with  other  graces.  The  inevitable  consequence 
of  this  is,  we  view  the  gospel  as  hard  and  difficult,  and 
the  terms  of  it  impracticable;  ^ve  are  under  these  views 
of  faith  for  ever  trying  to  repent,  to  be  holy,  to  live  holy 
&c.  instead  of  acting  faith  on  Christ.  Sometimes  w»  take 
in  the  prerequisites  of  fliith  in  order  to  make  a  true  be- 
liever; then  we  are  always  measuring  the  degrees  of  our 
convictions,  and  comparing  them  with  the  feelings  of 
others;  and  if  they  can  tell  a  loftier  story  than  we,  we 
conclude  that  we  have  not  enough  to  make  us  believers. 
Thus  with  those  wild  notions,  we  have  convictions,  re- 
pentance, love,  holiness  and  every  thing  but  faith,  to 
make  a  believer;  faith  is  such  a  simple  thing,  that  it  is 
quite  overlooked  among  such  gigantic  thiugs  as  convic- 
tions, love,  and  repentance. 


321 

The  easiness  of  the  condition  of  tlic  gospel  often 
causes  us  to  doubt,  or  mistake  the  reality  of  faith.  There 
is  nothing  in  all  the  gospel  plan  that  either  galls  the  proud 
heart,  or  delights  the  humble  heart  more  than  faith.  It 
is  unspeakable  satisfaction  to  the  humble  believer  to 
count  himself  nothing,  and  look  to  Christ  for  all.  Bnt  the 
proud  heart  starts  and  cries,  the  terms  are  too  easy.  If 
the  poor  helpless  sinner  had  only  some  little  to  do,  he 
■vvould  come  over  it  the  better;  but  only  to  believe,  is 
thought  a  Aery  unlikely  way  to  gain  the  kingdom  of 
heaAcn. 

Not  to  make  faith  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of 
grace  undoubtedly  tends  to  giv  e  us  obscure  ideas  of  it. 
If  faith  is  not  the  cone  ition  of  the  covenant,  then  it  is  no 
more  a  term  of  salvation  than  repentance,  or  holiness.  It 
is  indeed  very  difiicult  to  see  the  true  nature  or  design  or 
cfieot  of  faith,  but  only  as  a  condition.  But  if  it  is  not  a 
condition,  it  must  be  a  part  of  the  salvation.  If  so,  wh\it 
part  is  it?  Here  we  are  under  the  necessity  of  making 
faith  to  consist  a  little  of  every  thing:  it  must  be  itself 
holiness;  it  must  be  the  ground  of  repentance;  it  must  be 
a  principle  of  love;  in  short  it  must  be  every  thing  but 
the  very  thing  jt  is;  and  that  it  never  can  be,  without 
being  a  bare  condition  of  the  covenant.  Make  it  the  con- 
dition on  v»  hich  salvation  is  proposed  to  a  free  agent,  and 
then  you  must  acknowledge  that  it  is  just  the  consent  of 
die  heart  to  the  pvertiues  of  the  gospel;  and  wliile  it 
does  nothing  itself,  it  effectually  interests  the  believer  in 
those  promises  of  the  covenant  which  Christ  fuliils,  and 
by  fulfilling  which  he  freely  bestows  full  and  complete 
salvation  on  this  very  condition.  Thus  it  is  by  faith  that  it 
might  be  by  grace;  and  the  promise  is  sure  to  the  be- 
liever. But  when  we  make  faith  to  contain  the  seeds  of 
every  grace,  then  we  must  conclude  that  every  grace  of 
the  Spirit,  in  some  degree  at  least,  is  a  constituent  part 
of  faith;  if  so,  faith  must  be  love  to  God,  love  to  our 

2  S 


322 

neighbour,  holiness  in  heart  and  in  life,  hatred  to  sin, 
repeniance,  and  in  short  every  blessing  proposed  in  the 
gospel.  This  makes  faith  hard,  and  exceeding  difficult 
indeed;  so  that  no  sinner  can  act  it  without  possessing 
every  benefit  of  the  gospel,  except  pardon,  and  complete 
giory;  and  Christ  has  but  those  two  things  to  bestow  in 
consequence  of  faith;  because  faith  itself  is  a  compound 
of  all  the  rest.  Now  this  is  a  notion  of  faith  which  is  too 
common;  and  it  is  both  confused  and  absurd,  for  it  make;B 
iaith  to  be  works.  No  person  can  deny,  but  that  repen- 
tance is  works,  and  that  holiness  consists  in  works.  Love 
to  God  and  our  neighbour,  and  ail  the  consequences  of 
it,  are  the  very  works  of  the  moral  law;  and  although 
repentance  is  not  a  particular  precept  of  the  moral  law, 
yet  the  disposition  of  the  heart,  which  is  the  very  prin- 
ciple of  it,  is  the  spirit  of  the  moral  law.  But  the  scrip- 
ture opposes  faith  to  the  works  of  the  law.  This  notion 
of  faith  must  consequently  be  antiscriptural.  It  is  also 
confused;  because  it  makes  faith  to  be  both  the  means 
and  the  end.  It  is  the  only  instrumental  channel  of  re- 
ceiving holiness,  and  conformity  to  the  law  of  God,  and 
yet  it  is  that  very  thing  itself,  which  it  is  the  condition  of 
receiving.  Thus  when  we  indulge  such  notions  of  faith, 
our  explanations  of  it  are  unintelligible;  we  neither  un- 
derstand what  we  say  or  mean  ourselves;  nor  yet  can  any 
others  understand  us;  we  having  no  clear  ideas  ourselves, 
we  can  give  none  to  others. 

But  when  we  view  faith  as  the  simple  consent  of  the 
heart  to  the  proposals  of  the  gospel,  we  make  it  to  be 
nothing  in  itself,  yet  it  gives  the  bcHeverahoId  of  Christ 
in  all  the  promises  of  the  gospel;  it  being  the  only  condi- 
tion on  which  all  the  promises  of  salvation  are  made ;  so 
that  by  the  simple  consent  of  the  mind  the  blessings  of 
the  covenant  are  insured  by  a  God  of  unchangeable  faith- 
fulness. The  believer  on  his  consent  to  God's  own  offer 
lays  a  covenant  claim  to  the  free  gift  of  righteousness, 


ozo 

justification,  sanctification,  repentance  and  every  grac^T 
proposed  b\  Christ  in  his  word,  and  rcstinj^  upon  his 
eternal  truth,  he  is  sure  of  his  salvation  in  every  part  and 
degree  of  it.  Such  an  idea  of  faith  gives  us  a  view  of  the 
l)eautiful  simplicity  and  grandcurof  the  gospel  calculated 
to  save  sinners  on  the  proper  principles  of  free  grace. 

Another  reason  ^\  h\'  our  ideas  of  the  gospel  are  con- 
fused and  unsatisfactory  is,  we  do  not  place  a  suitable  and 
"proper  confidence  in  the  feelings  and  exercises  of  our 
own  hearts,  in  our  acts  of  faitli  and  exercises  of  mind  in 
believing.  However  trifling  this  may  seem  to  be  at  the 
first  view  of  it,  I  conceive  it  to  be  a  matter  of  infinite  im- 
portance in  the  right  extrcise  of  faith,  fhave  introduced 
this  matter  here  because  an  explanation  of  this  particular 
will  tend  to  give  us  right  views  of  the  nature  of  faith  and 
to  show  us  that  bv  doing  wrong  in  this  matter  we  enve- 
lop the  doctrine  of  faith  in  darkness  and  ambiguitv. 

This  unhappy  diffi.lence  as  to  any  thing  Me  feel  in  be- 
lieving and  in  any  of  the  exercises  of  religion  arises  from 
several  mistakes,  ^\  hich  I  will  here  take  notice  of. 

1.  Whenever  a  person  is  concerned  about  his  soul  his 
mind  is  set  upon  the  most  important  things  of  religion; 
and  c^■ery  thing  he  thinks  of,  except  one,  is  in  its  own 
nature  great  and  important.  There  is  but  one  little  thing 
in  tlic  whole  plan  of  the  gospel;  and  that  is  faith.  The 
tilings  in  their  own  nature  great  and  important  are  on  the 
one  side  sin,  guilt  and  damnation;  on  the  other  righteous- 
ness, pardon,  repentance,  love,  holiness,  &C.  add  to  these 
death,  judgment,  the  immortal  soul  and  eternity;  ever\- 
one  of  these  are  matters  of  essential  magnitude. 

But  faith  has  no  virtue  or  efficacy  in  itself;  and  were 
it  not  for  the  blessings  of  the  covenant  being  attached  to 
it  as  a  condition  of  their  bestowment  it  would  neither  re- 
move guilt,  procure  pardon  or  sanctification.  It  could  avail 
nothing  for  a  man  to  be  willing  to  be  forgiven  had  not  Christ 
proposed  to  pardon  him  on  condition  of  his  willingness  to 


324 

•  icceive  it;  neither  would  his  willingness  procure  one  com- 
munication of  the  sunctifymg  Spirit  but  on  the  same  prin- 
ciples. So  that  faith  is  in  itself  of  no  avail  towards  salva- 
tion. But  God  must  deal  with  us  as  moral  agents,  seeing 
he  has  made  us  such  creatures.  He  could  cause  the  sun 
to  shine  or  the  planets  to  revolve  without  waiting  for  their 
consent,  for  they  are- not  capable  of  moral  government; 
but  he  could  not  save  a  moral  agent  but  on  the  principles 
of  persuasion.  So  that  God  is  under  a  moral  necessity, 
in  order  to  save  a  sinner,  to  propose  salvation,  and  by  pro- 
per motives  to  influence  the  creature  to  consent  to  the 
application  of  salvation  unto  him.  Hence  it  is  that 
faith  is  constituted  the  only  condition  of  the  gospel. 
This  consent  is  faith.  God  persuades  by  proper  motives 
until  he  gains  our  consent,  and  thus  he  gives  faith;  but 
there  is  not  a  particle  of  salvation  bestowed  or  applied 
until  the  consent  is  gained,  neither  can  there  be,  because 
it  would  be  contrary  to  the  principles  of  moral  govern- 
inent.  Now  this  consent,  however  necessary  it  is  on  the 
principles  of  the  gospel,  as  the  condition  on  which  God 
proposes  to  pardon  and  sanctify,  yet  is  by  no  means  any 
part  of  the  salvation,  but  only  the  free  choice  of  the  crea- 
ture to  receive  it  graciously. 

^Vhen  we  compare  the  important  salvation  of  Christ 
to  the  act  of  our  will  it  makes  faith,  however  necessary 
as  a  condition,  to  be  in  itself  very  little4ndeed.  Here  now 
is  where  the  mistake  lies:  the  person  under  concern  about 
-salvation,  under  an  awful  sense  of  sin,  filled  with  great 
ideas  of  salvation,  cannot  easily  be  broudu  to  believe 
^  that  a  \'cry  little  thing  is  necessary  to  insure  his  eternal 
\  elfare.  He  flilsely  imagines  he  must  do  some  great  thing, 
even  something  A^hich  may  be  in  some  measure  answer- 
able to  the  greatness  of  the  salvation  he  has  in  vievv';  every 
power  of  his  soul  is  summoned  to  action;  his  life  is  at 
take.  ^'  OtmuU  magna.''  Hell  on  the  one  side  and  heaven 


325 

on  the  other,  and  faith  the  only  way  of  relief;  this  Ihith, 
thinks  he,  must  be  somcthinc^  great,  noble  and  sublime; 
all  the  capacities  that  are  within  are  now  in  action;  the  man 
is  now  going  to  believe;  he  is  now  going  to  escape  hell; 
he  is  now  about  to  gain  heaven.  But  alas!  [Mu7itcs par- 
turiimt.)  What  docs  he  do  at  last?  The  sum  total  is, 
Lord  save  me  or  I  perish!  and  when  the  heart  says  this 
it  only  expresses  its  consent  to  the  gospel  proposals.  But 
the  man  feels  as  if  he  does  nothing;  and  no  wonder,  for 
he  really  does  nothing;  he  only  gives  his  consent  for  Christ 
to  do  all  for  him.  His  feelings,  all  this  time,  are  both 
real  and  conclusive;  but  his  ideas  of  the  matter  arc 
so  great  and  his  feelings,  in  themseh  es:,  so  far  from  ac- 
complishing what  he  desires,  that  he  pays  no  attention  to 
them;  and  it  scarcely  enters  into  his  mind  that  these  feel- 
ings give  him  a  covenant  claim  to  the  blessings  of  salva- 
tion; he,  therefore,  disclaims,  and  even  reproaches  ever)- 
feeling  of  his  heart;  and  out  of  disregard^to  what  he  feels 
he  is  reaching  after  greater.  But  greater,  more  earnest  or 
a  more  real  consent  of  his  heart  he  cannot  gi\'e;  he  may 
<rive  this  over  and  over  a9"ain,  but  that  is  of  no  avail;  foi^ 
the  last  act  is  not  a  whit  stronger  than  the  first;  and  the 
unhappy  creature  thinks  that  if  he  were  to  add  a  thousand 
noughts  together  it  would  make  nothing  at  last."  Thus  he 
goes  on  couiiting  every  feeling  he  has,  not  worth  a  thought; 
and  consequently  the  whole  gospel  is  a  perfect  mist  be 
lore  his  eyes. 

2.  Another  mistake  lies  in  our  sense  of  Jer.  17.  9: 
"  The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperateh 
"  wicked;  who  can  know  it?"  Here  the  doubling  believer 
thinks  he  has  solid  ground  to  go  on;  he  thinks  he  is  for- 
bidden by  this  text  of  scripture  to^trust  any  thing  to  his 
own  heart.  But  he  never  dreams  that  he  mistakes  the 
sense  of  the  text.  And  he  finds  by  experience  that  while 
he  cannot  trust  to  his  ow  n  leclings  he  cannot  trust  to  am 
thing  else.  The  reason  is  plain;  the  promises  of  the  go«; 


326 

pel  afe  pointedly  and  expressly  made,  not  to  all  indiscri- 
minately, but  to  those  who  believe,  that  is,  to  those  who 
do  really,  as  a  rational  creature  capable  of  moral  action,, 
consent  to  the  gospel  plan.  Now  while  we  will  not  allow 
ourselves  to  believe  our  own  feelings  which  we  are  con- 
scious of,  we  never  can  know  that  we  have  a  single  pro- 
mise to  trust  to;  we  can  trust  as  little  to  the  promises  ot 
the  gospel  as  we  can  to  our  own  feelings;  and  conse- 
quently every  thing  relative  to  our  salvation  is  doubtful. 

This  is  more  than  a  mere  notion ;  it  is  a  fact,  experi- 
enced by  every  one  who  will  not  give  proper  credit  to  the 
feelings  of  his  own  heart  in  the  article  of  faith. 

The  text  above  cited  does  not  mean  that  a  man's  heart 
will  decei\'e  when  it  is,  as  it  were,  appealed  unto  as  to 
the  very  feelings  of  which  it  is  and  must  be  conscious. 
This  would  be  an  impossible  case.  We  may,  perhaps, 
not  know  whether  the  disposition  which  we  feel  is 
reallv  what  the  .gospel  requires.  But  this  would  be  an 
error  in  the  judgment  and  not  in  the  heart.  I  will  give  a 
few  instances  in  which  the  heart  deceives  through  the 
desperate  wickedness  which  is  in  it,  viz.  Through  its  un- 
happy propensity  to  sin  and  aversion  from  religion  it  often 
persuades  to  put  off  religion  from  time  to  time.  Go  thy 
way  for  this  time,  said  Felix,  when  I  have  a  more  conve- 
nient season  I  will  call  for  thee.  The  argument  is,  there 
is  time  enough  yet.  The  object  is  a  little  longer  gratifi- 
cation in  sin.  The  wicked  heart  is  disposed  to  put  a  false 
gloss  on  every  thing.  It  represents  sin  as  eligible,  religion 
as  gloomy,  this  world  as  important,  death,  judgment,  hell 
and  eternity  it  can  keep  out  of  view,  &c.  It  often  pleads 
against  the  law  of  God,  the  bible,  the  gospel,  and  all  the 
means  of  grace.  It  sometimes  pretends  to  religion  and 
disposes  to  hope  for  mercy  from  God  without  the  trouble 
of  being  truly  religious.  There  is  no  need,  says  the  de- 
ceitful heart  of  so  much  tumult  and  bustle  about  religion. 
It  is  eno'ugh  to  attend  church  perhaps  now  aaid  then,  or 


327 

at  most  regularly;  to  conduct  morally,  to  be  honest,  to  d(» 
no  harm,  Sec.  It  sometimes  persuades  a  person  to  take 
convictions  of  conscience  for  conversion,  and  a  common 
belief  of  the  truth  of  the  bible  and  the  gospel  to  be  faith. 
It  sometimes  takes  the  general  offers  of  the  gospel  for 
promises,  and  trusts  to  the  offers  without  fulfilling  the 
condition  on  which  they  are  made. 

These  are  the  general  ways  in  which  the  heart  deceives; 
and  here  it  is  proper  to  observe  as  a  general  rule  that 
whenever  the  heart  deceives,  it  goes  contrary  to  an  unbi- 
assed judgment;  and  it  sways  the  judgment  contrary  to 
the  understanding  by  its  own  inclination;  or  perhaps  the 
nice  philosopher  would  rather  I  would  say  the  judgment 
is  always  formed  on  the  inclination  of  the  heart  and  not 
on  the  doctrines  of  the  bible. 

But  it  is  far  otherwise  as  to  the  real  feelings  of  tlie  heart. 
Here  are  positive  facts;  and  facts  never  can  deceive  as  to 
their  existence.  I  perhaps  ma}-  be  at  a  loss  to  know  whe- 
ther what  I  feel  is  faith,  through  the  want  of  a  correct 
judgment;  but  I  never  can  possibly  persuade  myself  to 
think  that  I  do  not  feel  what  I  really  do  feel.  Aly  heart 
will  inevitably  speak  the  truth  here;  imd  it  never  will  or 
can  deceive. 

Upon  the  whole,  this  text  gives  us  no  authority  to 
scruple  our  own  feelings;  and  while  we  indulge  a  scru- 
pulous disposition,  as  to  the  conscious  sensations  of  our 
own  hearts,  we  ntver  will  have  clear  ideas  of  the  gospel, 
nor  enjoy  much  of  the  comforts  of  religion. 

3.  In  the  last  place,  I  will  mention  another  mistake 
w  hich  has  an  unhappy  tcndenc}  to  draw  ofi"  our  attention 
from  the  simple  feelings  of  our  own  hearts  in  believing, 
viz.  We  are  apt  to  have  quite  mistaken  notions  as  to  our 
right  to  the  promises  of  the  gospcL  There  are  promises 
in  the  gospel  suited  to  the  condition  of  every  believer 
whatever;  yet  many  are  to  be  found  who  cannot  trust  in 
those  promises  and  are  consequently  afraid  thcv  never 


328 

^vill  be  fulfilled  to  them,  and  are  of  course  continually 
labouring  under  doubts  of  their  salvation.  We  have  such 
a  natural  propensity  to  purchase  the  benefits  of  the  gospel 
that  it  is  not  easy  to  induce  a  proud  sinner  to  expect  to 
receive  a  benefit  unless  he  has  a  price  in  his  hand.  How 
natural  it  is  to  imagine  that  it  requires  a  man  to  possess  a 
high  degree  of  piety  to  lay  claim  to  the  promises  of  Christ. 
The  idea  is  that  piety  gives  the  right,  and  not  only  piety 
but  even  a  very  high  degree;  and  here  is  laid  down  an 
undetermined  claim.  There  is  no  rule  to- determine  what 
degree  of  attainments  is  sufficient  to  give  a  man  such  a 
glorious  claim  as  this.  We  dare  not  make  the  moral  law 
the  determining  rule  to  lay  claim  for  mercy;  this  would 
be  too  bare  faced;  and  we  institute  sincere  endeavours  in 
the  room  of  perfection.  But  this  is  ridiculous;  because  it 
introduces  the  diA'ine  Redeemer  as  rewarding  us  very 
highly  for  trying  to  do  what  is  beyond  our  power.  But 
wicked  and  foolish  as  it  is,  we  are  apt  to  proceed  upon  it; 
and  when  we  do  we  are  sure  of  one  thing,  we  never  ar- 
rive to  that  degree  of  sincerity  by  which  we  can  be  war- 
ranted to  lay  in  our  claim  to  the  promises.  But  this  is 
false,  legal  and  absurd.  This  is  always  attended  with  two 
consequences :  one  is  we  are  for  ever  hunting  after  evi- 
dences of  religion  to  establish  our  title  to  the  promises; 
another  is  we  always  neglect  the  very  things  in  which  our 
title  consists. 

The  believer's  right  to  the  promises  consists  in  three 
things.  1.  Meritoriously,  in  the  great  purchase  of  the 
cross.  This  is  the  believer's  claim  injustice  to  every  bless- 
ing promised  in  the  gospel.  2.  He  has  a  claim  founded  on 
the  veracity  of  the  word  of  Him  who  was  pleased  to  pro- 
mise; and  3.  He  claims  as  a  believer,  on  covenant  en- 
gagements, in  consequence  of  his  having  fulfilled  the  con- 
dition on  which  the  promises  are  made.  Thus  the  be- 
liever claims  a  personal  right,  as  a  believer,  alluding  to 
the  covenant  of  grace,  with  his  eye  on  his  faith  as  the 


329 

sine  qua  nou;  and  looks  to  the  trutii  and  laithfLilnebh 
of  Christ  to  perform  what  he  has  said  as  the  per  quam^ 
and  pleads  the  purchase  of  the  cross  as  the  only  pro  quo.^ 

The  only  personal  right  which  we  can  have  to  the  be- 
nefits promised  in  the  covenant  of  grace  is  faith.  To  as- 
certain this  right  we  must  answer  this  question,  "  Dost 
"  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God?"  To  answer  this  ques- 
tion affirmatively  wc  must  feel  our  hearts  believing;  and 
to  do  this  we  must  actually  believe.  The  moment  we 
actually  believe  we  will  feel  our  hearts  consenting  to  the 
gospel  plan.  We  must  give  full  credit  to  the  testimon} 
which  our  hearts  give  in  the  ease,  and  inquire  whether 
what  we  feel  in  our  hearts  answers  to  the  overtures  in  the 
gospel;  if  so  we  should  feel  ourselves  interested  personally 
in  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  the  simple  \\  ord  and  pro- 
mise of  Christ  a  sufficient  ^varrant  to  rest  with  assured 
confidence  in  God  for  pardon  and  sanctificatiojj  and  every 
grace  of  the  gospel. 

But  when  we  search  for  our  right,  in  what  wc  call  the 
marks  or  evidences  of  religion,  we  invert  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  the  gospel.  Those  evidences,  such  as  repentance, 
love,  holiness,  &c.  when  we  feel  ourselves  possessed  of 
them  are  the  identical  benefits  bestowed  on  us  according 
to  the  promises;  and  they  arc  bestowed  in  consequence 
of  our  personal  interest  in  the  covenant  by  faith;  and 
therefore  can  by  no  means  be  our  right  or  title  to  the 
promises.  Now  although  we  acknowledge  all  this  to  be 
true,  yet  by  turning  our  attention  entirely  to  marks  of 
grace  to  ascertain  our  right  to  the  promises  we  are  dis- 
posed to  neglect  the  direct  acts  of  faith,  and  consequently 

*'Siiie  (jiia  nojiy  without  which,  nothing.  Per  quam.,  by  which  (the 
'jfficient  or  acting  cause.)  Pro  quo,  for  which  (fhe  meritorious  cause.) 
The  first  means  the  condition,  the  second  the  faithful  enj^agemcnt, 
and  the  thitxl  the  foundation  of  all.  The  first  is  faith,  the  only  condi- 
tion; the  second  the  truth  of  Christ  in  the  promises,  and  th-j  third 
•he  atonement  of  the  cross. 

2T 


330 

we  pay  no  respect  to  the  cordial  sensations  of  our  own 
hearts  in  believing;  and  while  ever  this  is  the  case  we 
will  doubt  as  to  our  interest  in  the  promises  and  can  have 
no  confidence  in  God. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

How  God  gives  Jaith.  Or  the  prerequisites  of  faith,  o^ 
some  called  the  first  act  of  faith. 

No  man  will  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  except 
it  be  given  to  him  from  above.  I  have  already  observed 
that  God  the  Father  draws  sinners  to  Christ.  Christ 
himself  is  also  said  to  be  the  author  and  finisher  of  faith. 
He  is  the  meritorious  cause  of  every  privilege  and  grace 
given  in  consequence  of  the  gospel,  and  has  purchased 
the  Spirit;  and  the  Spirit  proceeds  from  the  Father  and 
the  Son  to  accompany  the  gospel  to  render  it  eft'ectual  to 
convince  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  of  judgment. 

When  God  gives  faith,  he  does  not  give  any  new  na- 
tural power;  neither  does  he  act  for  the  soul;  nor  is  it 
proper  to  say  he  acts  in  the  soul,  except  by  illumination; 
but  he  persuades  the  soul  to  act  for  itself.  He  persuades 
by  the  truths  of  his  word  brought  with  divine  light  to 
the  understanding,  by  his  holy  Spirit.  By  this  the  sinner 
is  influenced  by  proper  motives,  having  clear  discoveries 
of  the  interesting  nature  of  the  truths  of  the  word.  He  is 
brought  to  believe  firmly  those  truths,  and  is  persuaded 
to  act  accordingly.  The  soul  thus  being  brought  to  reali- 
zing views  of  those  divine  truths  of  God's  word,  so  as 
to  be  suitably  affected  by  his  belief  of  them,  is  the  reason 
why  some  call  this  the  first  act  of  saving  faith;  and  be- 
cause  there  is  undoubtedly  something  in  this  view,  or 
belief,  which  the  soul  has,  far  beyond  a  common  histori- 
cal credit  which  is  given  to  the  word  of  God,  and  inas- 


331 

much  as  all  the  acts  or  conduct,  so  to  speak  of  the  soul 
towards  Christ,  are  in  consequence  of  this,  some  have 
thought  that  this  is  the  only  proper  definition  of  faith. 
But  I  do  not  at  present  intend  to  dispute  these  points, 
only  to  observe  that  if  this  be  true,  then  God  gives  faith 
wholly  by  illumination,  and  not  by  persuasion;  for  per- 
suasion is  always  by  arguments;  and  arguments  must  con- 
tain something  which  is  credited.  Without  feeling  any 
disposition  for  debate  on  this  point,  as  I  conceive  it  a 
matter  of  no  great  consequence,  I  have  thought  it  perhaps 
the  most  correct  and  scriptural,  and  the  easiest  under- 
stood, to  consider  what  some  call,  and  what  indeed  1 
used  to  call,  the  first  act  of  faith,  as  prerequisites  of  faith, 
or  certain  things  done  in  order  to  persuade  the  sinner  to 
believe;  and  under  this  view  of  it,  I  shall  at  present  treat 
the  subject. 

Two  things  are  necessary  in  order  to  persuade  a  sinner 
to  believe  in  Christ.  He  must  have  a  suitable  sense  of 
his  lost  state  as  a  sinner;  and  he  must  have  a  suitable 
view  of  the  offers  of  the  gospel. 

1.  He  must  have  a  suitable  sense  of  his  lost  state  as  a 
sinner.  He  obtains  this  by  the  Spirit's  influences,  bringing 
the  law  of  God  home  to  his  heart.  The  doctrines  of  the 
bible  relative  to  our  shameful  apostasy  from  God,  our 
actual  transgressions  of  the  divine  law,  our  awful  guilt 
and  exposedness  to  divine  wrath  are  seen  and  felt;  and  the 
sinner  is  impressed  and  influenced  in  a  manner  suitable 
to  the  nature  of  the  truths  he  believes.  Guilt  stares  him 
in  the  face;  and  the  tremendous  attribute  of  justice  is 
dreaded  by  the  unhappy  wretch,  conscious  that  he  is 
obnoxious  to  the  frowns  of  his  Maker,  whose  laws  he 
has  violated.  He  cries  out  under  the  pressure  of  anxietj', 
'*  what  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  He  flees  to  duties,  vainly 
hoping  he  can  mend  what  he  has  broken.  Prayers  and 
tears  flow  apace ;  confessions,  repentance,  vows,  resolu- 
tions and  vigorous  exertions  to  turn  from  sin,  &c.  These 


33'2 

arc  generally  the  first  attempts  to  relieve  the  wounded 
conscience.  Thus  by  the  convincing  influences  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  somehow,  (I  cannot  tell  how,  but  only  by 
illumination)  the  fears  of  the  sinner  are  addressed,  at- 
tended with  all  the  dreadful  alarms  of  the  law  of  God, 
speaking  in  angry  accents  to  the  guilty  conscience.  Here 
I  must  notice,  is  the  place  of  danger.  All  who  make 
shipwreck  of  faith,  do  it  here.  Here  lie  the  only  dan- 
gerous rocks  and  sands,  where  the  vessel  is  moored  or 
wrecked  to  destruction.  A  wrong  step  here  is  the  radical 
source  of  all  atheists,  deists,  cold  formal  professors  and 
the  worst  kind  of  hypocrisy;  and  nothing  can  save  a  soul 
from  inevital^le  ruin,  but  the  simple  offers  of  the  gospel 
clearly  discovered,  and  brought  home  to  the  heart  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Here  preachers  have  a  critical  task  to  per- 
form; and  we  often  do  more  harm  than  good.  In  such  a 
case  as  this,  when  the  sinner  is  sensible  of  his  awful 
deserts  at  the  hand  of  God,  for  a  preacher  to  insist  upon 
prayer,  repentance,  reformation,  or  any  branch  of  holi- 
ness a.s  a  condition  of  pardon  and  acceptance  with  God, 
is  poison  to  the  convinced  soul,  and  never  fails  to  sap  the 
very  vitals  of  religion,  unless  counteracted  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  There  is  nothing  but  the  simple  doctrine  of 
faith  can  save  the  life  of  a  convinced  sinner. 

A  sinner  under  the  convictions,  and  stings  of  a  guilty 
conscience,  is  roused  from  his  sleep  of  security.  He  finds 
there  is  death  where  he  is;  and  he  must  fly  somewhere, 
and  will  fly  somewhere;  and  there  is  but  ojie  place  of 
real  safety  for  him  to  fly  to.  Finding  no  rest  for  the  sole 
of  his  foot,  he  must  go  in  quest  of  an  ark.  The  first  he 
comes  to  is  prayer.  Here  he  dwells,  pouring  out  his  soul 
with  tears,  like  Esau,  representing  his  wretched  situa- 
tion with  a  view  to  move  his  father  Isaac  to  alter  his 
mind;  but  all  is  in  vain.  The  next  is  confession,  sorrow, 
reformation,  which  is  called  repentance.  This  looks  well 
it  first  sight,  and  promises  fair  for  pardon  for  all  that  is 


333 

past,  on  the  condition  that  the  sinner  will  *clo  better  for 
the  future.  And  in  order  to  make  the  bands  of  the  sinner 
strong,  vows  and  resolutions  are  introduced;  and  the 
matter  seems  to  be  settled  for  awhile,  and  a  false  hope 
is  indulged.  Affairs  now  wear  a  tolerable  good  aspect  in 
the  view  of  the  reformed  sinner;  and  christians  begin  to 
love  him  as  one  who  exhibits  a  hopeful  appearance.  But 
alas!  what  is  it  all?  The  work  of  conviction  is  of  God; 
but  the  unhappy  course  which  the  sinner  takes  is  wrong; 
he  has  not  yet  believed  in  Christ,  and  never  will  until 
he  gets  a  suitable  discovery  of  the  gospel;  and  when 
sinners  stop  here,  the  effect  will  be,  in  some  one  thing, 
and  in  some  another.  In  some  instances  a  cold  formal 
hypocrite  is  formed,  attending  to  the  common  duties  ol 
religion  with  scrupulous  punctuality;  but  he  is  void  of 
faith,  and  consequently  void  of  true  religion.  Or  perhaps 
he  gets  weary  of  a  troublesome  conscience,  and  rather 
than  work  so  hard  to  keep  it  quiet,  will  grasp  at  every 
shift  to  live  easy.  A  proud,  wicked  and  deceitful  heart, 
far  from  Christ,  and  still  under  the  power  of  sin  and 
Satan,  begins  at  length  to  scruple  the  reality  of  religion. 
The  pleasing  doctrine  of  universal  redemption  is  a  sove- 
reign antidote  against  a  guilty  restless  conscience.  Or 
perhaps  the  infidel  scheme  chops  all  short;  and  the  man 
employs  all  his  wdt  and  ingenuity  to  make  himself  be- 
lieve that  the  bible  is  false,  and  that  Christ  is  an  impos- 
ter.  The  divine  Being  now  is  thought  to  be  very  merciful; 
and  there  is  no  danger  in  sinning  against  a  God  of  suck 
boundless  goodness.  O  how  dangerous  it  is  to  be  without 
an  interest  in  Christ  by  faith. 

But  when  the  divine  Spirit  designs  to  give  faiih,  he 
not  only  convinces  of  sin,  and  pursues  the  frantic  soul 
through  all  the  labyrinths  of  his  selfish  schemes;  but 
sooner  or  later  gives  a  suitable  view  of  the  gospel.  Now 
the  poor  sinner  is  not  only  alarmed,  and  called  to  fl\ 
from  danger,  by  a  sense  of  sin.  and  a  discovery  of  h\< 


334 

ruined  and  lost  state,  but  is  also  directed  where  to  fly. 
Jesus  the  Saviour  is  exhibited  and  discovered  in  the  gos- 
pel, both  able  and  willing  to  save.  His  offices  as  a  Media- 
tor proclaim  his  ability  and  authority  to  save;  and  his  free 
offers  made  in  the  gospel  declare  his  willingness.  These 
most  important  truths  are  seen  by  the  lost  soul.  The 
sinner  is  overcome,  urged  on  the  one  hand  by  a  sense 
of  danger,  and  drawn  on  the  other  by  a  view  of  the  suit- 
ableness and  freeness  of  Christ  in  the  overtures  of  the 
gospel.  The  heart  is  won,  and  gives  consent  to  be  saved 
by  Christ  only. 

Thus  God  gives  faith;  viz.  disposes  the  sinner  to  be- 
lieve, or  to  receive  Jesus  Christ  as  he  is  offered  in  the 
gospel,  by  inducing  or  persuading  the  heart  by  proper 
motives  addressed  through  the  understanding.  From 
what  I  have  said,  it  appears  that  both  our  fears  and  hopes 
are  addressed  by  the  word  of  God;  and  that  it  is  essen- 
tial  to  faith  that  the  sinner  be  convinced  of  his  lost  ruined 
and  helpless  state  by  nature;  and  that  he  must  discover 
the  suitableness  and  willingness  of  Christ  in  the  offers  of 
the  gospel;  and  when  this  is  the  case  he  will  consent  to 
the  gospel,  and  give  up  his  heart  to  Christ;  induced 
thereunto  by  the  powerful  persuasions  of  the  holy  Spirit. 
Thus  the  sinner  is  made  willing  in  the  day  of  God's 
power.  Thus  the  Father  draws.  Thus  he  hears  and  learns 
of  the  Father,  and  cometh  unto  Christ.* 

*  No  doubt  the  reader  has  noticed  that  I  have  confined  my  ideas  of 
a  convinced  sinner  to  a  sense  of  guilt;  and  probably  he  may  think,  it 
strange  that  I  should  depart  from  the  common  orthodox  notion  of  the 
necessity  of  a  sinner's  being  made  sensible  of  the  odious  nature  of  sin 
so  as  to  hate  it  upon  the  account  of  its  moral  turpitude.  The  reason 
why  I  have  omitted  that  part  of  the  usual  definition  of  conviction  is,  I 
am  not  certain  that  it  is  true.  I  readily  grant  the  sinner  must  have 
such  a  sense  of  sin  as  will  give  him  a  real  sense  of  guilt  and  danger. 
A  sense  of  sio  must  precede  a  sense  of  guilt;  the  one  cannot  be  with- 
out the  other.  He  must  have  such.a  view  of  God's  laAv.  and  justice  as 
will  convince  him  of  his  danger  crt"  wrath  and  punishment.  But  to  have 


335 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  offers  of  the  gospel  and  the  effect  they  have  on  the 
convinced  sinner. 

We  are  not  to  imagine  that  sinners  are  influenced  to 
come  to  Christ  from  any  view  of  preparations  or  qualifi- 
cations in  themselves  to  render  them  fit  or  welcome  to 

a  sense  of  the  odious  nature  of  sin  he  must  have  a  view  of  the  moral 
excellence  of  holiness;  this  would  require  a  holy  disposition.  In  order 
to  hate  sin  he  must  love  holiness.  If  he  loves  holiness  and  hates  sin  he 
is  a  true  penitent;  for  this  is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be  the  very  nature 
of  gospel  repentance.  If  therefore  all  this  is  prerequisite  to  faith,  re- 
pentance must  precede  faith.  But  it  is  universally  acknowledged,  as 
far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  by  all  orthodox  divines,  that  gospel  re- 
pentance is  a  consequent  of  faith.  How  then  can  it  be  a  necessary  pre- 
requisite ? 

From  the  account  which  the  scripture  gives  of  the  convictions  of 
sinners,  previous  to  their  believing  on  Christ,  I  cannot  see  that  they 
had  any  thing  more  than  a  real  sense  of  guilt  and  danger.  The  three 
thousand  under  Peter's  sermon  were  pricked  in  their  hearts  and  said, 
"  Men  and  brethren  what  shall  we  dor"  Paul,  on  his  way  to  Damascus, 
trembling  and  astonished,  said  "  Lord  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?" 
The  jailer  "  called  for  a  light  and  sprang  in  and  came  trembling,  fell 
"  down  before  Paul  and  Silas  and  said,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
If  any  person  can  see  any  thing  more  than  a  deep  sense  of  guilt  and 
danger  in  these  special  instances,  I  confess  I  know  not  where  he  finds 
it.  I  do  not  think  it  is  right  for  us  to  assert  things  as  the  necessary 
work  of  the  Spirit  in  bringing  a  sinner  to  Christ  without  the  bible 
gives  us  authority  to  do  so.  It  is  certainly  tiue  that  nothing  more  is 
necessary  than  to  persuade  the  sinner  to  yield  to  the  gospel,  or  in 
other  words,  to  gain  his  consent;  and  if  any  man  will  venture  to  affirm 
that  a  sense  of  guilt  and  helplessness  on  the  one  hand  and  the  free  ofTer 
of  complete  salvation  on  the  other  are  not  sudkient,  I  think  he  v.  ill  assert 
what  neither  the  bible  nor  experience  will  prove.  1  readily  grant  that  a 
deep  sense  of  the  odious  nature  of  sin  as  opposed  to  holiness  is  a  part 
of  true  religion;  but  it  does  not  follow  from  thence  that  we  must  have  i( 
'before  we  believe  in  Christ. 


336 

come,  or  which  may  induce  Christ  to  accept  of  them 
when  they  do  come.  This  is  a  notion  too  often  entertained; 
but  it  is  both  absurd  and  very  dangerous.  We  find  gi  eat 
difficulty  in  persuading  sinners  to  come  just  as  they  are. 
The  proud  heart  objects;  the  language  of  the  heart  is 
this,  "I  am  too  guilty,  too  vile,  too  wretched,  too  un- 
"  worthy.  Christ  will  not  receive  me;  I  have  no  right  to 
"  expect  mercy  at  his  hand."  It  is  impossible  for  a  sinner 
under  a  deep  sense  of  sin  to  have  a  thought  that  he  can  mee^ 
with  acceptance  with  God  unless  he  has  pretty  clear  views 
of  the  gospel  oifers.  He  is  consequently  apt  to  set  about 
a  reformation,  hoping  by  some  such  means  to  render 
himself  at  least  more  fit  to  approach  the  Majesty  of  hea- 
ven. Not  only  so,  but  even  after  he  has  got  some  disco- 
veries of  the  gospel,  he  hates  to  come  in  all  his  wretched- 
ness and  sin.  He  feels  in  his  ideas  of  coming  to  Christ 
as  he  does  in  his  ideas  of  going  to  church;  he  must  wash 
and  dress  in  order  to  be  decent. 

But  the  worst  of  all  is  we  are  apt  to  mistake  the  nature 
of  the  offers  of  the  gospel;  and  indeed  I  am  sorry  I  have 
to  say  that  we  are  too  often  taught  to  do  so,  even  by  those 
who  ought  to  understand  the  gospel  better.  By  pointing 
out  the  wrong  notions  which  we  have  of  the  offers  of  sal- 
vation, we  will  have  occasion  to  explain  the  true  notions 
which  we  ought  to  have  of  those  offers.  There  are  in  the 
gospel  both  general  offers  and  special  offers  to  particular 
characters.  The  general  offers  are  made  to  all  indiscrimi  - 
natel)%  such  as  the  following,  "  He  that  belie veth  shall  be 
"  saved.  Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out. 
"  Whosoever  will  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
'^  Look  unto  me  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth  and  be  saved;" 
and  many  others.  The  offers  made  to  particular  characters 
are  such  as  these,  "  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labour  and 
"  are  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  If  any  man 
"  thirst  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  Ho!  every  one 
"  that  thirsteth,  come  ve  to  the  waters,"  &c/  Jesus  in  his 


337 

tender  compassion  not  only  extends  the  free  proposals  ol 
salvation  to  all  but  know  iiii^  our  backwardness  to  come, 
especially  under  a  sense  of  sin  and  shame,  overwhelmed 
with  fear,  is  also  pleased  to  address  those  particularly 
who  are  in  distressed  circumstances. 

Now,  because  we  find  many  of  the  overtures  of  the 
.gospel  addressed  particularly  to  such  and  such  characters, 
we  are  so  unhappy  as  to  conclude  that  none  but  such  arc 
Invited  to  come.  And  hence  \\c  are  apt  to  conclude  that 
there  are  certain  states  of  mind  necessary  to  qualify  a 
person  to  be  a  proper  subject  of  the  call  of  the  gospel, 
such  as  hungering,  thirsting,  poverty  of  spirit,  a  deep 
sense  of  sin,  a  considerable  degree  of  repentance  and  re- 
formation; and  what  is  indeed  very  curious  and  artful  we 
sometimes  go  so  far  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  have  a 
great  sense  of  guilt,  without  being  afraid  of  punishment; 
and  we  must  have  a  strong  desire  to  be  holy,  ^vithout  any 
desire  to  be  happ}-;  and  to  desire  to  go  to  heaven  or  not 
to  go  to  hell  spoils  all  our  religion,  imd  totally  disqualifies 
us  for  the  calls  of  the  gospel.  These  unhappy  notions  are 
ver}'  hurtful  and  tend  ro  defeat  the  grand  design  of  the 
gospel.  There  are  only  two  things  necessary  to  constitute 
any  person  a  proper  subject  of  the  gospel  call:  one  is,  he 
must  be  a  sinner,  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins;  another  is, 
the  gospel  must  be  preached  to  him.  Grant  these  two 
things,  and  nodiing  else  is  necessary  to  make  a  proper 
subject  of  the  ofters  of  salvation;  and  such  a  man  will 
find  it  so  at  the  day  of  judgment  either  to  his  joy  or  his 
sorrow. 

It  is  true,  the  weary,  the  distressed,  the  poor  burdened 
soul  is  invited,  and  invited  tenderly;  but  his  being  poor, 
weary  and  distressed  does  not  in  the  least  degree  give  him 
a  right  to  come;  his  having  a  sense  of  sin  may  dispose 
him  to  come;  but  any  other  person,  not  perhaps  half  as 
distressed  as  he,  if  he  would  come,  would  be  every  whit 
as  welcome,  and  perhaps  do  ten  times  the  most  honour 

2U 


338 

to  the  gospel.  VV^e  are  often  very  much  mistaken  as  to 
our  distressed  feelings.  As  much  as  we  think  of  them 
and  encourage  them  in  our  hearts,  and  sometimes  ima- 
gine we  are  very  humble  when  we  feel  bad,  I  would  wish 
for  no  greater  testimony  of  pride  and  an  arrogant,  selfish 
and  haughty  spirit.  For  a  man  to  be  distressed  and  sunk 
under  the  offers  of  the  gospel  is  very  little  honour  to  the 
gospel.  Yet  we  fondly  think  that  such  are  the  only  per- 
sons worthy  to  be  invited  by  the  gospel.  But  it  shows  that 
our  hearts  are  stubborn  and  obstinate,  full  of  unbelief  and 
rebellion  against  Christ. 

But  again,  although  Christ  has  addressed  particular 
characters,  }'et  there  is  no  man  who  has  read  the  bible 
but  is  invited  to  come  to  him  for  salvation;  and  it  is  his 
duty  to  come,  and  to  come  just  as  he  is.  Let  a  man  be 
ever  so  wicked,  the  gospel  invites  him  to  come  to  Christ. 
It  is  true  Christ  does  not  promise  to  bestoAV  salvation  to 
all;  he  only  promises  to  believers.  All  the  offers  of  the 
gospel  become  promises  to  believers;  all  the  things  pro- 
mised to  believers  are  only  offered  to  unbelievers.  It  is 
the  nature  of  the  gospel  invitations  to  make  a  sinner  wel- 
come to  accept ;  and  let  a  sinner  be  ever  so  distressed  and 
urged  to  come  to  Christ,  yet  he  should  feel  his  encou- 
ragement to  come  only  in  the  free  offer  of  the  gospel.  All 
our  anguish  of  mind,  our  tears  and  confessions  do  not 
make  us  one  whit  more  welcome  to  come ;  we  should  feel 
Ourselves  unworthy,  guilty  sinners  when  we    come   to 
Christ,  and  come  because  he  calls  us.  Let  a  sinner  feel 
himself  ever  so  bad,  guilty  and  sinful,  how  can  he  help 
feeling  himself  welcome  when  he  sees  Christ  in  the  gos- 
pel offering,  inviting,  calling  and  insuring  acceptance  if 
he  would  come  unto  him.    Let  sinners  remember  that 
the  bare  overture  is  a  sufficient  warrant  for  them  to  risk 
their  immortal  souls  on  the  plan  of  the  gospel. 

Farther,  I  would  observe,  that  although  a  sense  of  sin 
and  danger  is  by  no  means  a  meritorious  recommenda- 


339 

tion  to  Christ,  or  in  any  wise  a  recommendatory  qualifi- 
cation to  entitle  us  to  the  benefits  of  the  gospel,  yet  such 
is  our  nature,  and  the  nature  of  the  case,  that  no  man 
ever  will  come  to  Christ  without  it.  Without  this  we 
Avill  not,  nor  can,  possibly  feel  our  need  of  Christ,  and  con- 
sequently can  have  no  proper  motive  to  induce  us  to  em- 
brace the  offers  of  the  gospel.  Without  a  sense  of  dan- 
ger we  never  could  sec  the  excellence  or  suitableness  of 
the  gospel.  The  gospel  without  this  would  be  a  mere 
theory  or  system  of  doctrine  suited  only  to  answer  the 
necessitous  circumstances  of  sinners;  but  although  our 
being  sinners  renders  us  fit  objects  of  mercy,  yet  we  must 
have  a  sense  of  it  before  we  can  either  see  our  need  of 
mercy  or  prize  the  offer.  Hence  the  necessity  of  the  Spi- 
rit to  teach  and  convince  us  of  our  lost  state;  and  the  gospel 
not  only  invites  us  but  also  teaches  us  our  dangerous  and 
helpless  situation.  The  idea  of  the  gospel  is  not  to  bring 
us  to  a  sense  of  our  guilt  and  ruin,  in  order  to  make  us 
lit  subjects  of  the  call  and  invitation,  but  with  the  call 
God  argues  with  us  to  persuade  us  to  come  at  his  call. 
And  when  we  are  convinced  of  sin  and  danger  we  are  not 
any  more  the  proper  subjects  of  the  call  in  consequence 
of  our  convictions  than  we  were  before;  we  are  only  more 
inclined  to  accept  of  mercy;  and  when  we  come  to  Christ 
\\c  do  not  receive  mercy  because  we  are  sensible  of  our 
need  of  it,  but  it  is  graciously  given  unto  us  on  the  condi- 
tion of  our  consenting  to  receive  it;  our  sense  of  our 
need  only  moves  us  to  embrace  what  is  freely  offered  for 
Christ's  sake.  So  that  conviction  is  by  no  means  a  fulfil- 
ment of  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  nor  any 
terms  of  our  receiving  the  promises,  but  only  a  prerequi- 
site of  faith,  which  operates  as  a  motive  on  us  to  believe 
or  receive  what  Christ  offers  us  freely  on  the  condition  of 
faith  only. 

But,  as  I  have  said  already,  conviction  only  starts  the 
"siinier;  he  must  and  will  fiy  somewhere  lor  help;  for  death 


340 

is  ready  to  lay  hold  of  him.  The  gospel  invites  him  to 
come  to  Christ.  By  the  offers  of  the  gospel  we  are  not 
only  directed  where  to  apply  for  lielp,  but  we  are  encou- 
raged to  make  ajjplication.  This  is  a  matter  worthy  of  se- 
rious regard.  No  sinner  could  have  the  least  ground  of 
encouragement  to  apply  for  mercy  were  it  not  for  the  free 
offer  of  Christ  in  the  gospel;  and  he  never  would  have 
thought  of  sucli  a  scheme  had  it  not  been  revealed  to  him. 
Adam  after  he  fell  was  filled  with  an  awful  sense  of  the 
wretchedness  of  his  state  as  a  sinner.  I  have  no  doubt 
but  the  devils  and  damned  souls  in  hell  have  a  deeper 
sense  of  sin  and  wretchedness  than  any  believer  ever  had. 
But  their  unhappiness  is,  there  is  no  place  pointed  out 
for  them  to  fl}'  to.  They  know  of  Christ  too;  but  they 
have  no  encouragement  to  come  to  him  because  he  has 
never  called  them.  Adam  had  no  encouragement  to  come 
for  mercy  until  he  received  the  intimation  of  the  seed  of 
the  woman  to  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent.  But  as  soon 
as  the  gospel  invited  him  he  was  both  directed  and  en- 
couraged to  hope  for  mercy ;  so  the  three  thousand,  so 
Saul  of  Tarsus,  so  the  jailer;  their  sense  of  danger  was 
great;  but  all  this  had  not  the  least  tendency  to  give  them 
any  hope;  but  as  soon  as  salvation  was  freely  offered  to 
them  they  consented  to  the  offer  and  were  comforted  with 
a  hope  of  salvation.  If  some  glorious  Saviour,  able  to  save 
to  the  uttermost,  would  proclaim  through  the  dark  abodes 
of  Tophet  "  Look  unto  me  and  be  saved,'^  O  what  joy 
•would  gladden  the  regions  of  despair.  Under  the  direc- 
tions and  encouragement  of  such  a  gracious  overture, 
they  would  no  doubt  repair  to  the  standard  of  peace 
with  shouts  of  glory  to  their  kind  deliverer.*  I  have  in- 

*  If  it  is  true  that  regeneration  is  before  faith  in  the  order  of  nature, 
what  I  have  said  about  the  devils  accepting  the  gospel  would  not  be 
true;  for  they  would  have  to  be  renewed  before  they  could  believe,  and 
consequently  they  would  have  to  experience  and  receive  the  principal 
part  of  their  salvation  before  they  would  have  any  personal  interest  in 


341 

troduced  this  circumstance  to  show  that  no  sense  of  sin, 
t^uilt  or  misery  can  afford  the  least  encouragement  to  a 
sinner.  And  when  sinners  feel  a  disposition  to  encourage 
themselves  under  the  hope  of  acceptance  with  Christ  on 
the  footing  of  distress  and  sorrow,  he.  they  are  certainly 
wrong;  for  it  must  be  true  that  the  simple  offers  of  the 
gospel  are  the  only  proper  grounds  of  encouragement  for 
a  lost  soul.  There  is  the  greatest  encourtigement  given  in 
the  offers  of  the  gospel.  No  sinner  could  expect  greater; 
neither  is  there  any  need  for  greater,  i  here  are  three 
things  on  which  the  encouragements  of  the  gospel  are 
founded,  wliich  ought  to  be  considered  b}'  c  very  sinner. 
1.  The  merit  or  purchase  on  which  those  overtures 
are  founded.  This  is  nothing  less  than  tlie  blood  of  the 
cross.  When  the  convinced  sinner  argues  from  his  deep 
contrition,  makes  mention  of  his  pain  and  sorrow,  tears, 
vows  and  resolutions  to  encourage  his  soul  to  approach  to 
God,  how  meagre  it  looks!  and  indeed  dwindles  into 
nothing  when  compared  with  the  great  atoniilg  sacrifice 
of  Christ.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  when  he  views  the 
justice  of  God  receiving  ample  satisfaction  in  the  death  of 
our  dear  Redeemer,  and  pardon  and  sanctification  and 
every  thing  necessary  to  salvation  offered  on  the  solid 
footing  of  perfect  satisfaction  and  a  meritorious  purchase, 
this  encouragement  urges  him  on  to  a  most  cordial  ac- 
quiescence in  the  overtures  of  salvation,  without  the 
least  doubt  of  his  acceptance  with  God,  through  the  me- 
rits of  the  cross. 


Christ,  or  would  be  personally  brought  from  under  the  curse.  But  this 
doctrine,  although  it  has  often  been  asserted,  yet  it  never  has  been 
proven  by  scripture;  and  I  am  pretty  sure  it  will  be  very  hard  to  de- 
monstrate from  the  general  plan  of  the  gospel  or  the  principles  of  sound 
philosophy.  Mistaken  notions  of  faith  make  mistakes  in  the  general 
plan  of  the  gospel.  Faith  is  the  radical  condition  of  the  gospel  offers; 
and  if  we  are  wrong  in  our  notions  of  faith  we  must  model  the  whole 
gospel  to  suit  our  false  notion. 


342 

2.  The  fulness  contained  in  the  ofters  of  the  gospel  is 
truly  an  excellent  ground  of  encouragement.  What  does 
the  sinner  need  which  is  not  offered  to  him  freely?  What 
shall  I  say?  righteousness,  pardon  of  sin,  peace  with 
God,  sanctification,  strength,  light,  life,  protection  and 
complete  glory.  Need  I  quote  texts  to  prove  that  all 
these  things,  with  all  their  extent  and  fulness,  are  offered 
in  the  gospel  to  sinners?  This  must  certainly  be  great 
encouragement  to  a  soul  who  feels  himself  poor,  and 
wretched,  and  miserable,  and  blind,  and  naked,  and  that 
especially  when  he  finds  that  all  is  offered  on  the  positive 
purchase  of  the  cross.  But  to  crown  the  whole, 

3.  The  offer  to  the  sinner  is  free,  without  money  and 
without  price.  However  dear  those  blessings  cost  the  Savi- 
our who  offers  them,  yet  we  are  invited  to  come  and  take 
of  the  water  of  life  freely.  Was  there  ever  such  an  instance 
of  grace?  Is  not  this  encouragement  enough  to  render 
the  sinner  damnable  if  he  does  not  receive  such  inestima- 
ble blessings,  all  paid  for  to  his  hand  and  offered  freely  ? 
And  is  it  not  enough  to  induce  all,  who  hear  the  glad 
tidings,  to  flock  to  Christ  like  the  doves  to  their  windows? 
Now  consider  what  is,  and  what  fi-om  tlie  nature  of  the 
case  must  be,  the  condition  of  our  salvation.  Must  we 
come  before  the  Lord  with  a  price  in  our  hand?  Will  we 
have  the  impudence  to  interpolate  terms  of  our  own?  to 
shove  in  our  paltry  sorrows,  fears,  penitence,  tears,  vows 
and  reformation,  &:c.?  No:  the  conditions  are,  "he  that 
"  believeth  shall  be  saved."  And  the  flames  of  hell  will 
convince  the  unhappy  wretch  who  lives  and  dies  in  the 
expectation  of  salvation  on  any  other  footing  of  his  fatal 
error:   "  He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 

Therefore  the  conditions  on  ^\'hich  the  offers  are  made 
are  really  encouraging.  Every  offer  demands  the  consent 
of  our  hearts.  Were  it  enjoined  upon  us  to  repent,  to  be 
hol}%  to  love  God,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  or  to 
make  atonement  for  our  guilt,  we  might  lie  down  in 


343 

sorrow.  Such  offers  as  these  (however  they  might,  and  in- 
deed they  do  consist  with  our  duty,  only  we  have  the  pri- 
vilege of  making-  atonement  by  our  Surety)  could  never 
give  us  any  encouragement,  as  a  condition  of  our  accep- 
tance  with  God.  But  when  these  arc  the  very  things 
which  constitute   the  overtures  of  the  gospel,  and  are 
freely  oftlred  to  us,  we  arc  thereby  invited  to  receive 
them.  Our  consent  is  required  in  order  to  the  applica- 
tion of  those  benefits  to  our  souls.  This  being  the  true 
state  of  the  case,  the  sinner  if  he  has  proper  views  of  the 
plan,  must  feel  himself  greatly  encouraged  to  surrender 
up  his  whole  soul  to  Christ  upon  the  bare  ofter  of  the 
gospel. 

Upon  the  whole,  there  can  be  nothing  more  encou- 
raging to  a  sinner  than  the  simple  offers  of  the  bible;  and 
the  less  the  sinner  takes  encouragement  from  other 
things,  and  the  more  he  is  encouraged  by  the  gospel 
only,  the  more  comfortable  he  will  be  in  believing. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TF/iat  viexvs  the  sinnei'  jnust  have  of  Christ  and  salvation 
in  order  to  believe. 

If  the  apostles  lived  in  our  day,  I  doubt  not  but  the} 
would  have  as  much  trouble  to  correct  our  errors  which 
we  introduce  into  the  gospel  plan,  as  they  had  to  correct 
the  errors  of  the  juduizing  teachers.  It  seems  as  if  we 
had  a  strange  propensity  to  make  the  way  of  salvation 
difficult  and  obscure.  Whereas  the  truth  is,  there  never 
was  any  thing  more  simple,  and  free  from  perplexity  and 
difficulty  than  the  way  of  salvation  through  a  crucified 
Saviour.  I  have  frequently  attended  on  definitions  of 
faith  until  I  have  concluded  that  I  would  rather  under- 
take to  save  mv  own  soul,  than  to  believe  on  Christ. 


344 

Faith  has  beeti  represented  as  such  an  intricate,  nice, 
and  delicate  thing,  that  I  have  thought  there  was  no 
chance  at  all  for  such  a  blundering  creature  as  I  was, 
that  could  tell  neither  first  nor  last  of  the  whole  business. 
I  have  heard  the  sinner  led  on  step  by  step  coming  to 
Christ,  so  that  when  he  came  the  great  length  of  believ- 
ing,  he  was  actually  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  glory;  and 
Christ  had  very  little  to  do.  For  somehow,  I  never  could 
tell  how,  he  was  nearly  saved  before  he  got  within  reach 
of  the  Saviour.  I  have  noticed  already  that  a  sinner  must 
be  sensible  of  his  guilt  and  danger.  Here  it  is  thought 
that  such  a  sense  of  sin  is  necessary,  as  will  cause  the 
sinner  to  loath  and  abhor  it  on  the  account  of  its  contra- 
riety to  God  and  holiness.  Here  we  introduce  a  positive 
blessing  of  the  covenant;  a  most  precious  branch  of  sanc- 
tification  which  Christ  has  promised  to  the  believer;  and 
which  he  offers  to  the  sinner;  and  yet  it  is  introduced 
here  as  a  prerequisite,  or  at  least  a  constituent  part  of 
faith;  and  yet  we  say  that  faith  is  the  very  condition  on 
which  depends  the  fulfilment  of  that  very  offer;  and  the 
bestowment  of  that  very  blessing.  I  have  heard  such 
contradictions  often  from  the  pulpit,  and  have  read  them 
frequently  in  books ;  but  I  am  very  loath  to  believe  that 
such  difficulties  can  be  found  in  the  bible.  I  have  also 
said  that  a  sinner  must  have  a  view  of  the  suitableness 
and  freeness  of  Christ  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel.  Here  I 
would  turn  the  attention  of  the  reader  particularly. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  a  sinner's  believing,  that  he  be 
able  to  view  all  the  excellencies  of  the  gospel.  I  question 
much  whether  Gabriel  can  do  that  St.  Paul  counted 
himsetf  not  to  have  already  attained;  but  he  reached 
forth  towards  those  things  which  were  before.  It  did  not 
appear  to  the  apostle  John  what  we  shall  be.  I  think  we 
may  conclude  upon  this,  that  the  convinced  sinner  must 
discover  that  Christ  is  both  able  and  willing  to  save  him; 
and  he  must  have  such  a  degree  of  light  on  this  subject. 


.345 

us  will  be  sufficient  to  induce  him  to  venture  on  tlic  gos- 
pel plan,  and  submit  his  case  to  the  direction  of  Christ. 
To  define  any  exact  degree  of  light  in  this  matter,  farther 
than  w  hat  I  have  said,  would  certainly  be  beyond  our 
province.  Perhaps  some  sinners  are  more  stubborn  than 
others,  and  consequently  recjuire  stronger  motives,  and 
of  course  clearer  discoveries.  But  here  a  serious  ques- 
tion arises.  What  is  meant  by  the  fulness  and  freeness  of 
Christ? 

By  the  freeness  of  Christ  is  always  to  be  understood, 
oui  being  invited  to  receive  mercy,  w  ithout  any  merit  of 
our  own;  and  that  every  one  is  made  welcome  to  come 
just  as  he  is,  without  any  thing  to  recommend  him  to 
Jesus;  and  that  Christ  will  graciously  give  every  blessing 
of  the  covenant  to  every  one  who  \\ill  come  to  him, 
notwithstanding  his  guilt  and  pollution,  and  utter  unwor- 
thiness. 

As  to  the  fulness  of  Christ  we  may  observe,  1.  Every 
excellence  which  is  in  him  as  a  Saviour;  his  complete 
atonement  or  righteousness  imputable  according  to  the 
gospel;  all  that  rich  variety  of  the  influences  of  his 
Spirit  to  apply  a  full  and  complete  salvation  to  the  be- 
liever; his  infinite  wisdom;  his  truth;  his  power;  his 
goodness  and  mercy,  &:c.  These  divine  excellencies  of 
Christ,  constitute  his  fulness;  and  a  sinner  must  at  least 
have  a  general  view  of  them,  as  fiir  as  it  is  necessary  to 
persuade  him  to  give  up  his  heart  to  him  for  salvation. 

2.  By  the  fulness  of  Christ  is  more  especially  under- 
stood the  sufficiency  of  the  benefits  he  proposes  in  tht- 
gospel  to  sinners.  Pardon  and  sanctification  will  compre- 
hend the  whole.  To  mention  more  particulars  we  may 
say  his  righteousness  as  the  ground  of  all.  Justification, 
adoption,  sanctification;  a  new  heart,  love  to  God  and 
holiness,  repentance,  perseverance,  protection,  and  final 
victory  over  sin  and  death,  &:c.  The  sinner  must  view 
so  much  of  this  fulness  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel,  as 

2  X 


34G 

\y\\\  be  a  bufticiciit  moiivc  to  induce  liiin  to  consent  for 
Christ  to  take  possession  of  his  heart  and  grant  him  what 
he  stands  in  need  of  in  order  to  salvation. 

As  to  the  kind  or  degree  of  this  view'  or  discovery,  in 
order  to  beget"  faith  in  the  heart,  it  is  impossible,  as  I  have 
already  observed,  to  say  any  tiling,  but  on  general  terms. 
Those  who  wish  to  draw  sinners  to  Christ  without  the 
deeds  of  the  law,  who  wish  to  make  the  gospel  plain 
and  easy,  and  to  introduce  faith  as  the  simple  condition 
of  the  whole  of  a  sinner's  salvation,  speak  only  of  such 
a  view,  and  of  such  a  degree  of  it  as  will  draw  the  sin- 
ner to  Christ  under  the  hope  of  mercy. 

Those  who  feel  a  disposition  to  make  the  plan  of  the 
gospel  hard  and  perplexed,  who  are  much  afraid  of  pre 
sumption  and  hypocrisy,  who  imagine  that  religion  con- 
sists in  very  serious  doubting  and  fears  lest  we  have 
none,  run  this  matter  very  high.  The  first  prerequisite 
is  regeneration.  And  it  must  be  granted  that  this  is  ne- 
cessarily produced  by  the  views  which  they  make  neces- 
sary to  faith.  Then  the  sinner  must  have  a  slight  sense 
of  guilt;  not  too  much  lest  his  faith  and  feelings  be  all 
selfish;  but  he  must  have  a  very  high  sense  of  the  moral 
evil  of  bin,  the  baseness  of  his  depraved  heart,  so  that 
he  will  hate  sin,  and  long  to  be  rid  of  it  from  a  view  of 
its  contrariety  to  holiness.  Moreover,  he  must  ha\'e  a 
spiritual  view  of  the  excellence  of  holiness;  not  so  much 
as  it  is  connected  with  happiness;  for  that  would  be  too 
selfish;  but  as  it  is  in  its  own  nature  excellent,  and  love- 
ly. He  must  have  a  view  of  Christ's  righteousness  as  the 
only  ground  of  his  pardon;  but  his  mind  must  not  at  the 
same  time  be  much  concerned  about  forgiveness.  He 
must  especially  behold  the  holiness  of  Christ,  arid  his 
heart  must  love  him  for  his  holiness;  he  must  have  a 
spiritual  view  of  Christ  as  a  King  to  rule  and  govern 
hiin;  he  must  have  a  spiritual  view  of  the  moral  excel- 
lence of  his  laws,  and  feel  a  complacency  of  heart  in 


;347 

them.  Thus  he  must  l)c  drawn  by  the  genuine  eords  ol 
eomphicemiul  aftletions  to  Clirist,  with  a  holy  heart  de- 
serving to  be  saved,  especially  from  the  power  of  inward 
eorruption.  Now  com(  s  fiiith,  consisting  in  coming  to 
Christ  ^^  itli  a  holy  heart,  hating  sin,  loving  God,  and 
Christ,  and  holiiiess,  repenting,  and  resolving  to  obey  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord. 

There  is  so  much  real  religion  in  the  above  description 
of  true  and  saving  fliith,  that  at  first  sight  it  really  is 
enough  to  charm  us  into  a  belief  that  it  is  true.  Had  the 
supposition  been  that  the  man  w  as  a  believer  long  ago, 
and  that  Christ,  in  his  faiilifulncss,  was  thus  carrying  on 
a  work  of  sanctification  in  his  heart  agreeably  to  his  i)ro- 
mises,  I  would  most  heartily  acquiesce  in  it,  with  one 
exception,  viz.  1  would  not  disregard  heaven  and  hell 
so  much.  I  sincerely  wish  the  notion  of  disinterested 
religion  was  buried  in  eternal  oblivion ;  there  is  no  man's 
heart  but  must  feel  it  a  most  unnatural  and  unreasonable 
religion;  and  the  bible  teaches  no  such  doctrine. 

But  to  introduce  all  this  as  essential  prerequisites  of 
h'wh  is  truly  darkening  counsel  by  words  without  know- 
ledge. It  makes  the  conditions  of  the  gospel  perplexed 
and  difficult  to  understand  and  impossible  to  come  at. 
.What  docs  salvation  consist  in?  It  consists  in  regenera- 
tion, a  holy  heart,   love  to  God  and  holiness,  hatred  to 
sin,  repenUmce  and  a  corresponding  life  and  conversa- 
tion; all  founded  on  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed 
by  faith.    Consequently  fliith  must  he  before  them  all, 
because  the  scriptures  abundantly  proA  e  that  all  our  sal- 
A-ation  is  bestowed  on  us  on  the  condition  of  faith.    If, 
therefore,  fliith  is  the  condition  on  w  hich  we  receive  sal- 
vation how  can  we  receive  any  part  of  our  salvation  be- 
fore we  believe?  To  say  that  we  are  born  ugain,  that  we 
hate  sin  and  love  holiness  and  God  and  Christ,  that  we  re- 
pent, &.C.  before  we  arc-  personally  interested  in  Christ  by 
fliith,   is  really  inverting  tlie  whole  order  of  the  bible 


348 

and  makes  the  most  beautiful  plan  of  the  gospel  a  chaotic 
jargon. 

*  The  above  definition  is  indeed  a  good  definition  of 
true  religion;  and  the  believer  often  acts,  or  rather  ex- 
ercises faith  on  those  very  principles.  The  reason  is 
plain;  he  has  been  for  some  time  in  personal  union  with 
Christ  by  faith,  and  Christ  is  fulfilling  his  promises.  He 
is  consequently  a  new  man;  he  has  spiritual  views  of  sin, 
holiness,  the  divine  law  of  God,  of  Christ,  and  the  whole 
plan  of  the  gospel.  Therefore,  he  is  actually  possessed  of 
a  holy  principle  and  acts  under  the  sanctifying  influences 
of  divine  grace;  his  renewed  acts  of  faith  will  undoubt- 
edly be  performed  under  the  influence  of  holy  motives, 
and  will  answer  to  the  above  description.  But  how  un- 
reasonable must  it  be  to  call  upon  a  poor  lost  sinner,  be- 
fore he  is  personally  interested  in  Christ,  and  consequently 
under  the  curse  of  God's  law  and  justice,  to  put  on  all  the 
characteristics  of  a  soul  who  has  been  for  some  time  in- 
terested in  the  covenant  of  grace  by  faith.  Must  a  man 
partake  of  all  the  blessing  of  the  covenant  before  he  has 
an  interest  in  it?  And  if  he  can  have  an  interest  in  Christ 
and  partake  of  the  principal  parts  of  salvation  before  he 
believes,  what  sense  can  there  be  in  those  numerous  texts 
which  say  we  are  saved  by  faith? 

But  I  will  treat  this  subject  more  particularly  in  the 
next  chapter.  I  will. now  inquire  as  to  what  views  a  sin- 
ner must  have  of  Christ  and  the  gospel  in  order  to  be- 
lieve. 

He  must  have  a  view  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 
That  is,  he  must  understand  that  Christ  died  in  the  room 
of  sinners,  that  his  death  satisfied  justice,  and  is  freely 
oflfered  in  the  gospel  to  him  as  his  only  justifying  righte- 
ousness. He  must  see  that  by  that  righteousness  imputed, 
he  can  be  pardoned,  and  obtain  the  blessing  of  God,  and 

*  Except  as  above,  pag;e  347. 


349 

l)e  reinstated  in  the  favour  and  friendship  of  heaven. 
This  is  a  glorious  sight  to  the  law-convinced  sniner,  and 
has  a  powerful  influence  on  his  heart.  Here  it  is  proper 
to  observe,  that  the  righteousness  of  Clirist  is  the  radical 
ground  of  the  sinner's  salvation;  it  is  the  hope  of  the 
believer,  the  price  of  every  l)enefit  of  the  covenant;  and 
whenever  it  is  imputed  it  gives  a  full  and  complete  title 
to  every  particle  of  salvation.  Consequently  whenever 
the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  offered  in  the  gospel,  the 
undeniable  right  to  the  whole  kingdom  is  offVred.  And 
when  the  sinner,  convinced  of  sin,  conceiving  himscii  as 
having  forfeited  his  right  to  every  blessing,  and  conse- 
quently under  the  curse  of  God's  broken  law,  gets  a 
view  of  this  righteousness,  he  views  the  radical  principle 
cf  the  whole  gospel;  and  although  he  may  not  have  cor- 
rect views  of  the  genuine  nature  of  those  blessings,  yet 
he  sees  the  grand  title  to  them  all,  and  this  title  freely 
offered  to  a  poor,  guilty,  lost  creature,  even  a  hell -deserv- 
ing sinner.  Now  will  any  venture  to  say,  that  such  a 
sight  as  this  will  not  effectually  persuade  such  a  sinner 
to  accept  of  this  righteousness?  What  more  had  Peter's 
converts?  What  more  had  the  jailer?  Now  suppose  the 
sinner  would  give  his  consent  to  such  a  proposal  as  this, 
would  it  have  any  effect?  Certainl}',  he  would  by  that 
very  act  of  his  mind,  become  a  believer;  and  that  righte- 
ousness would  be  that  moment  imputed  to  him.  What 
would  now  be  the  state  of  that  man?  Christ  has  found  a 
sinner,  not  a  half  saved  saint;  and  he  has  given  him  his 
own  righteousness  and  has  brought  him  from  under  the 
curse  of  the  law;  and  he  is  now  entitled  to  all  the  privi- 
leges of  the  sons  of  God.  By  submitting  to  this  righte- 
ousness, the  very  foundation  of  Christ's  kingdom,  he  has 
now  become  a  subject;  and  Christ  is  under  c  ovenant  en- 
gagements to  bestow  whatever  that  righteousness  lays 
claim  unto. 


350 

Here  I  must  further  observe,  that  the  sinner  in  all 
this  transaction  has  a  general  view  of  the  things  con- 
tained  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel.  Although  he  has  .not 
a  sanctified  taste  for  holiness,  yet  he  is  very  sensible  of 
the  necessity  of  it;  and  this  is  enough  to  induce  him  to 
consent  to  obtain  the  privilege  of  sanctification  by  the 
blood  of  Christ.  And  so  of  Gvery  grace  or  blessing  of- 
fered  in  the  gospel.  This  would  not  do  for  an  evidence 
of  true  religion;  but  it  will  do  for  an  argument  to  induce 
a  lost  sinner  to  go  to  Christ  for  religion.  There  must  be 
a  great  difference  betwixt  the  religion  which  Christ  will 
give  in  faithfulness  to  his  own  offer  and  pursuant  to  the 
claim  of  his  own  righteousness  when  imputed  by  faith 
according  to  the  conditions  of  the  gospel,  and  the  mere 
motives  used  to  persuade  a  sinner  to  come  to  Christ  for 
salvation. 

On  this  plan  it  is  true  yet,  what  was  said  of  Christ 
long  ago:  "This  man  receiveth  sinners;"  also,  that 
"  He  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.  I 
"  came  not  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to  repentance. 
''  I  am  sent  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.  He 
"  that  belie vcth  on  me  though  he  were  dead  yet  shall 
"  he  live.  If  ye  believe  not  on  me,  ye  shall  die  in  your 
"  sins.  Ye  will  not  come  unto  me  that  ye  may  have 
•'  life." 

This  makes  the  scheme  of  the  gospel  simple  and  easy. 
It  is  not  perplexed  with  contradictions;  it  introduces  no 
heterogeneous  ideas  in  the  gospel.  We  have  the  sinner 
saved  by  faith  through  ,the  imputed  righteousness  of 
Christ.  We  have  him  quickened  together  with  or  in 
union  with  Christ.  We  do  not  represent  the  sinner  com- 
ing to  Christ  possessed  of  every  mark  of  a  true  chris- 
tian; partly  saved  by  Christ,  and  partly  before  he  comes 
to  him ;  partly  b}'  fLiith  and  partly  without  it.  We  do  not 
represent  the  sinner  as  receiving  precious  gifts  of  a  holy 
nature,  ^vhile  he  is  held  under  the  curse  of  God.  Nor 


351 

God  blessing  the  sinner  with  a  new  heart,  A\ith  u  holy 
disposition,  before  he  has  by  faith  a  personal  interest  in 
tlie  new  covenant.  We  do  not  eall  upon  sinners  to  come 
to  Christ  just  as  they  are,  with  all  their  guilt  and  sin,  and 
with  the  next  breath  tell  them  they  must  be  born  again, 
and  have  a  holy  heart,  to  love  God  and  holiness,  and  hate 
sin  before  they  can  come.  We  do  not  make  the  condition 
of  the  covenant  of  grace  to  consist  in  the-blessings  of  it. 
Neither  do  we  hold  to  faith  as  the  only  condition  of  the 
gospel;  yet  bestow  the  principal  part  of  the  blessings  be- 
fore   the   condition  is  fulfilled.    We  do  not   make  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  the  meritouious  ground  of  every 
part  of  a  sinner's  salvation,  and  yet  make  the  sinner  per- 
sonally a  partaker  of  a  considerable  share  of  that  salva- 
tion, before  he  is  personally  interested  in  that  righteous- 
ness, and  consequently  remaining  under  the  old  covenant. 
We  do  not  preach  Christ  as  the  only  Sa^•iour  of  sinners, 
}ct  make  the  sinner  a  saint  before  Christ  has  any  thing 
to  do  with  him  as  one  interested  in  him. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  we  find  the  sinner  in  a  lost, 
jielpless,  guilty  state;  we  preach  the  word  to  him;  we 
convince  him  by  the  word,  accompanied  with  the  divine 
Spirit,  of  his  lost  and  ruined  state;  he  becomes  sensible  of 
his  guilty  condition,  of  his  need  of  a  Saviour.   We  offer 
him  the  spotless  righteousness  of  Christ  freeh';   we  urge 
liim  with  many  arguments  to  accept  of  it;  the  Spirit  of 
God  sets  home  all  those  motives.  The  sinner  gives  up  to 
the  ofter  of  the  gospel;  becomes  a  believer,  obtains  par- 
don, and  a  title  to  every  blessing.    Christ  engages  his 
complete  salvation,  renews  his  heart,  causes  his  Spirit  to 
dwell  hi  him,  sanctifies  him,  gives  him  repentance,  makes 
him  love  God  and  holiness,  See.  and  thus  makes  him  fit  for 
heaven.    Here  Christ  saves  a  sinner,  sa\  cs  him  by  faith. 
The  sinner  comes  just  as  he  is,  guilty  and  sinful,  without 
;i   spark    of  religion,   and  Christ  becomes  «thc  author  oi 


352 


eternal  salvation  to  him  as  a  believei",  gets  all  the  glor) , 
and  sees  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  is  satisfied.  O  ihat 
sinners  w  ould  only  try  the  value  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Faith  before  regeneration  and  sanctijication. 

i  1  has  been  set  down  as  an  uncontrDverted  truth,  that 
in  the  order  of  nature  regeneration  precedes  faith.  But 
by  what  I  have  already  said  in  the  last  chapter,  my  reader 
perceives  that  I  think  differently.  I  will  not  repeat  the 
arguments  I  have  already  oftered  on  this  subject;  but 
call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  somethins:  further. 
The  question  before  us  is  not  as  to  time;  but  as  to  which 
is  in  consequence  of  the  other.  If  faith  is  what  some  di- 
vines make  it  to  be,  as  I  have  noticed  in  the  last  chapter, 
regeneration  must  be  before  faith.  But  if  it  is  as  I  have 
described  it  to  be,  regeneration  must  be  a  consequence 
of  faith.  There  are  some  scriptures  which  would  be  very- 
difficult  to  understand  unless  we  acknowledge  faith  to 
produce  regeneration.  "  Without  faith  it  is  impossible 
10  please  him,"  (God).  The  sinner  must  certainly  meet 
with  the  approbation  of  God,  or  God  could  not  bestow 
such  a  blessing  as  regeneration  upon  him.  But  how  could 
God  be  in  favour  with  an  unbeliever  so  far  as  to  grant 
him  such  a  distinguishing  favour,  even  as  to  create  him 
anew,  in  his  own  image.  Again,  God  is  always  pleased 
with  a  holy  disposition;  the  man  who  is  born  of  God's 
own  Spirit  must  please  him.  But  the  apostle  says,  without 
faith  It  is  impossible  to  please  him;  consequently  faith 
must  precede  regeneration;  for  the  regenerated  man  is 
certainly  pleasing  to  God.  This  in  my  view,,  clearly  de- 


353 

cides  the  question;  else  uc  cannot  understand  that  text 
of  scripture. 

We  all  acknowledge  without  any  difliculty  that  the 
word  saved,  or  salvation,  is  a  general  term,  and  means 
the  whole  and  every  jxirt  of  the  deliverance  from  guilt 
and  sin  which  the  sinner  receives  liom  Christ.  If  an}  are 
disposed  to  deny  this,  I  ask  what  part  of  our  redemption 
is  left  out  of  view?  It  must  of  course  be  regeneration,  or 
it  would  not  helj)  my  opponent  any,  if  we  arc  allowed  to 
embrace  this  in  the  sense  of  the  word  saved.  But  pray, 
why  is  not  regeneration  a  part  of  our  salvation?  Our 
blessed  Lord  makes  it  a  c-apital  part:  "  Except  a  man  be 
"born  again  he  cannot  sec  the  kini^-dom  of  God."  And 
Paul  says,  "he  that  is  in  Christ  is  a  new  creature."  It 
makes  one  of  the  special  articles  promised  in  the  cove- 
nant: "  A  new  heart  1  will  give  you."  But  why  do  I  ar- 
gue a  point  so  evident;  none  will,  or  can  dispute'  it;  for 
it  is  indeed  a  very  special  part  of  our  salvation.  I  now 
observe  that  there  is  no  doctrine  in  all  the  bible  so  evi- 
dent as  that  we  are  saved  by  faith:  "  He  that  belie veth 
"  shall  be  saved,  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Now  to  apply  this  scripture  to  the  point  in  hand,  I  must 
say,  he  that  believeth  shall  not  only  be  pardoned,  but  also 
shall  be  regenerated.  If  you  object  to  this  construction, 
I  ask,  why?  is  not  regeneration  a  part  of  our  salvation? 
This  I  have  positively  proven;  and  consequently  my  con- 
struction is  good,  and  my  argument  is  unanswerable. 

Paul  says,  "  by  grace  ye  are  saved  through  faith." 
Remember  there  is  no  stop  at  the  word  saved,  plainly 
proving  that  our  sah  ation  is  of  grace  because  it  is  through 
faith,  agreeing  with  what  he  says  in  another  place  ar- 
guing on  this  very  subject  in  the  case  of  Abraham: 
"Therefore  it  is  of  faith  that  it  might  be  by  grace."  If 
these  texts  taken  together  prove  any  thing,  they  prove 
that  what  is  not  by  faith  is  not  by  grace.  If  tlierefore 
regeneration  is  not  bv  faith  it  is  not  bv  grace.  But  rc- 

2  Y 


354 

generation  is  a  grace,  and  therefore  it  is  by  faith;  and 
consequently  no  man  can  be  regenerated  until  he  believes 
in  Christ. 

"  Even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,"  says  Paul  to  the 
Ephesians,  "  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ*" 
(Ti/vg^woTrojvjcrg  too  X^js-tw.  In  union  with  Christ  he  hath  quick- 
ened us  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sin.  This  certainly 
proves  that  we  are  brought  from  a  state  of  death  in  sin 
to  a  state  of  life  in  holiness  in  consequence  of  our  being 
united  to  Christ;  and  the  scripture  tells  us  of  no  wa}  to 
be  united  to  Christ  but  by  faith.  Consequently  faith  pre- 
cedes regeneration. 

We  have  the  very  same  ideas  with  some  enlargement 
in  Col.  2.  IS.  "  And  you  being  dead  in  your  sins  and 
"  the  uncircumcision  of  your  flesh  hath  he  quickened  to- 
"  gether  with  him  having  forgiven  you  all  trespasses. " 
This  text  proves,  in  addition  to  the  idea  of  being  quick- 
ened with  Christ,  that  the  regeneration  of  the  Colos- 
sians  followed  the  forgiveness  of  all  their  trespasses; 
which  every  one  knows,  who  knows  any  thing  of  the 
gospel,  is  in  consequence  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
imputed  by  faith.  Regeneration  must  of  course  be  in 
consequence  of  faidi. 

In  Eph.  1.  13,  14.  we  have  these  remarkable  words: 
"  In  whom  also,  after  that  ye  believed-  ye  were  sealed 
'■'  with  that  holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the  earnest 
"  of  our  inheritance,  &c."  A  seal  is  the  impression  of  an 
image;  the  seal  of  the  Spirit  is  the  impression  of  God's 
image;  and  this  image  is  the  earnest  of  our  heavenly  in- 
heritance. No  person  in  his  senses  will  deny  but  that  this 
is  done  in  regeneration;  and  the  apostle  very  elegantly 
marks  with  peculiar  accuracy  that  this  is  done  after  be- 
lieving. How  is  it  possible,  after  all  this,  that  regeneration 
must  precede  faith? 

I  will  now  call  the  reader's  attention  to  some  scriptural 
positions  which  I  will  lay  down  as  a  ground  of  argument- 


355 

1.  Wc  must  be  reconciled  to  Ciotl  by  the  death  ol 
Christ,  before  wc  can  l)c  saved  by  his  hving  interces- 
sion. (Rom,  5.  10.)  Note.  It  is  b}-  lailh  we  arc  recon- 
ciled to  God.  (Rom.  5.  1.) 

2.  \Vl'  are  sa\'ed  from  wrath  In'  justification  by  the 
blood  of  Christ,  (v.  9.)  Note.  Justification  is  by  faith. 
(V.    i.) 

3.  Wc  must  be  buried  into  death  (b}  l:)aptism)  with 
Christ,  before  we  can  rise  with  him  and  walk  in  newness 
of  life;  and  if  we  are  dead  with  him  we  shall  also  live 
with  him;  and  if  so,  we  arc  indeed  dead  to  sin,  but  alive 
unto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  (Rom.  6.  3 — 
11.)  Note  1.  Piiul  was  speaking  to  adult  persons;  and 
baptism  is  always  taken  as  a  sign  or  seal  of  faith.  And 
the  truth  is,  it  is  by  faith  only  that  wc  are  buried  with 
Christ.  Note  2.  To  be  dead  with  Christ,  and  to  live 
with  him,  means  regeneration,  and  the  progress  of  sanc- 
tification.  Note  3.  It  is  in  consequence  of  our  union  with 
Christ  by  faith. 

4.  Paul  was  dead  to  the  law  before  he  could  live  unto 
God.  (Gal.  2.  ]9.)  Note  1.  To  be  dead  to  the  law  means 
to  be  brought  from  under  it  by  faith  in  Christ.  (Rom.  7. 
4,  5,  6.)  Note  2.  When  Paul  was  by  faith  in  Christ 
dead  to  the  law,  then  he  was  regenerated,  or  made  alive 
to  God. 

5.  Paul  was  crucified  with  Christ.  Gal.  2.  20.  Note. 
Here  is  the  very  same  manner  of  expression  as  the  apos- 
tle uses  in  Eph.  2.  5.  and  Col.  2.  13.  above  quoted. 
The  preposition  cw  in  conjunction  with  the  veib,  not 
meaning  together,  in  the  same  jilace,  or  merely  at  the 
same  time,  but  in  union  with  Christ,  as  a  sacrifice,  surety 
or  atonement.  Note  2.  This  union  is  acknowledged  by 
all  to  Ijc  by  faith  only. 

6.  Paul  lived  in  consequence  of  this  federal,  or  vica- 
rious crucifixion,  (idem.)  Note  1.  The  Greek  preposition 


356 

ii  has  several  meanings.  It  means,  but,  yet^  nevertheless, 
also,  indeed,  truly,  therefore,  or,  in  consequence  of  which, 
&c.  Our  translators  have  giving-  it  the  word  nevertheless, 
which  is  the  worst  meaning  they  could  possibly  have  in- 
vented; it  completely  spoils  the  whole  beauty,  and  sense 
of  the  passage-  It  introduces  the  idea  of  Paul's  being 
dead,  and  yet  alive,  v»'hich  is  absolutely  nonsense  unless 
you  wade  through  a  dark  figure,  and  is  quite  contrary  to 
the  apostle's  meaning.  Only  put  the  word  therefore  in 
the  room  of  the  word  nevertheless,  and  you  will  have 
the  sense  of  the  apostle,  and  the  natural  sense  of  his 
whole  plan  of  the  gospel;  and  the  passage  will  be  natural, 
easy,  and  truly  elegant.  "  I  am  crucified  with  Christ, 
"  therefore  I  live,  ['(oo  h)\  yet  not  I,  but  (therefore  ^i) 
'^  Christ  livelh  in  me."  Here  ought  to  be  a  full  stop; 
and  the  apostle  proceeds  to  draw  his  conclusion.  "  There- 
"  fore  {oi)  I  live  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  by 
"  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and  gave  him- 
"  self  for  me,"  [-jTri^  j^-  instead  of  me.)  Note  2.  The 
life  Paul  lived  was  in  consequence  of  Christ's  dying  in 
his  room,  and  of  his  interest  in  his  death  by  faith.  Note 
3.  Paul  was  interested  in  Christ's  atonement  by  faith  be- 
fore he  lived,  by  Christ  li\ing  in  him.  Note  4.  It  is  evi- 
dent from  Eph.  3.  17.  that  the  only  way,  by  which  Christ 
jives,  or  dv/ells  in  our  hearts,  is  by  faith,  which  only  can 
produce  spiritual  life. 

7.  Every  unbeliever  is  under  the  law.  (Gal.  3.  11,  12. 
25.  Rom.  4.  14,  15.)  Every  one  who  is  under  the  law  is 
under  the  curse.  (Gal.  3.  10,  11.)  Note  1.  Regeneration 
is  a  blessing  of  salvation  in  its  own  nature.  Hence  the 
apostle  (Titus  3.  5.)  says,  "According  to  his  mercy  he 
"  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing 
"  of  the  Hoi}  Ghost."  That  we  should  be  conformed  to 
the  image  of  Christ,  and  that  we  should  be  holy,  was  the 
great  object  of  God's  foreknowledge  and  predestination. 


357 

And  Paul  ranks  this  among  the  spiritual  blessings  with 
which  God  blesses  us  in  Christ  Jesus.  Note  2.  No  spiri- 
tual blessing  can  be  given  to  any  person  until  he  is  re- 
moved from  under  the  curse  of  the  law.  (Gal.  5.  4.  Rom. 
4.  14,  15.)  Hence  Christ  says,  "  If  }c  believe  not  on  me 
"  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins."  Note  3.  No  person  can,  by 
the  constitution  of  the  gospel,  be  brought  from  under  the 
curse  of  the  law,  but  by  faith.  (Rom.  4.  16.)  Conse- 
quently the  great  blessing  of  regeneration  cannot  be  be- 
stowed on  an  unbeliever,  who  undoubtedly  remains  under 
the  curse  of  the  broken  covenant. 

8.  We  arc  begotten  by  the  word.  (James  1.  18.) 
Christ  sanctifies  and  washes  his  church  w  ith  water  by 
the  word  that  he  may  make  it  glorious,  not  having  spot, 
wrinkle  or  any  such  thing,  but  holy  and  without  blemish; 
(l'4)h.  5.  26,  27.)  but  it  is  expressly  said,  the  word  will 
not  profit  without  faith.  (Heb.  4.  2.) 

I  humbly  presume  that  if  any  man  will  strip  himself 
of  all  prejudice,  and  not  allow  himself  to  believe  any  thing 
just  because  he  has  believed  it  before,  or  because  he  has 
been  taught  to  do  so  by  others,  and  give  the  arguments 
which  I  have  advanced  a  candid  hearing,  and  consult  the 
sense  of  the  passages  I  have  quoted,  he  will  say  with 
me,  and  I  presume  with  the  bible,  that  faith  is,  in  the  or- 
der of  the  gospel,  before  regeneration.     . 


358 

CHAPTER  X. 

JVhether  faith  he  a  holy  act  or  not. 

It  must  be  granted  that  an  unsanctified  soul  cannot  do 
any  thing  really  holy;  that  every  thought  word  asid  ac- 
tion of  an  unrenewed  person  is  unholy.  This  very  thing 
has  no  doubt  been  one  of  the  principal  reasons,  and  per- 
haps the  only  one,  uhich  has  cuused  many  to  mistake  the 
true  nature  of  faith,  and  to  imagine  it  to  be  a  holy  act 
of  a  regenerated  soul.  If  faith  is  a  holy  act,  it  must  pro- 
ceed from  a  holy  principle,  and  consequently  it  must 
require  a  holy  heart  to  believe.  Tnis  looks  plausible  at 
first  sight,  and  would  certainly  overthrow  all  that  I  have 
said  on  the  subject,  were  it  true  that  faith  is  a  holy  act. 

But  the  misfortune  is,  this  has  been  taken  for  granted 
without  either  proof,  or  examination;  and  the  unhappy 
consequence  has  been  that  the  true  nature  of  faith  has 
been  enveloped  in  darkness,  the  gospel  not  well  under- 
stood, and  the  sinner  has  been  thought  to  be  saved  from 
death  in  sin,  before  he  was  united  to  Christ.  This  is  cer- 
tainly the  consequence  of  this  notion  of  faith.  If  faith  is 
a  holy  act,  regeneration  must  be  before  it;  and  the  soul 
must  be  renewed  before  it  is  united  to  Christ;  and  con- 
sequently the  sinner  is  not  properly  saved  by  faith.  This 
view  of  the  matter  seems  to  change  the  gloss  of  the  ar- 
gument, and  makes  my  reader  suspect  that  the  point 
can  be  maintained,  notwithstanding  the  gigantic  appear- 
ance of  this  almost  self-evident  objection. 

The  question  is  not,  whether  the  christian,  who  is  al- 
ready united  to  Christ  by  faith,  and  is  born  again,  having 
Christ  dwelling  in  his  heart,  and  under  a  process  of  sanc- 
tification,  is  holy  in  the  exercise  of  faith.  This  is  by  no 
means  disputed.  The  apostle  Jude,  v.  20.  exhorts  his  be- 


359 

loved  christians  to  keep  themselves  in  the  love  of  God 
l)v  huildlnp;  up  themselves  on  their  most  holy  faith,  pray- 
ing m  theHolv  Ghost.  The  exercises  of  the  Hiith  of  a 
holy   christian,'  by  which  he  is  daily  built  up,   arc   un- 

doubtedlv  holv.  , 

But  the  question  is,  docs  the  sinner,  comint^  to  Christ  / 
on  the  offer  of  the  gospel,  just  as  he  is,  full  of  guilt  andf 
sin,  when  he  gives  himself  to  Christ  for  salvation,  per4 
form  a  holy  act  or  not?  I  answer  no;  my  reasons  are  thd 

following. 

1.  The  scriptures  do  not  give  faith  that  characteristic; 
and  the  gospel  never  did  require  a  sinner  to  be  holy  in 
order  to  come  to  Christ;  and   it  is  highly  improper  for 
the  siimer  to  attempt  to  be  holy  before  he  comes;  but  to 
come  just  as  he  is  bv  nature  and  sin.   Rev.  3.   17,  18. 
"  Because  thou  sayest  I  am  rich,  &ic.»  v.  20.  "  If  any 
"  man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door  I  will  come  m, 
"  &:c."  Chap. '22.  17.  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of 
"  the  water  of  life  freely."  Is.  55.  1,  2.  "  Ho,  every  one 
"  that  thirsteth,  he.  and  he  that  hath  no  money  come,  8cc. 
♦'  buy  widiout  money  and  without  price,  8^c."  John  3. 
14,  15.  "  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent,  &c."  Had  the 
bitten,  poisoned,   Israelite  to  break  the  strength  of  the 
poison,  before  he  looked  to  the  brazen  serpent?  or  did 
his  looking  to  the  serpent  do  it?  So  it  is  betwixt  the  sin- 
ner and  Christ.  If  Moses  had  preached  to  the  Israelites, 
as  my  opponent  would  \\ish  us  to  do  to  sinners,  he  would 
have  marred  the  type;  and  if  we  would  preach  holiness 
as  the  terms  of  the  gospel,  we  would  mar  the  antitype; 
and  the  beautiful  figure  \ -hich  our  Saviour  used  would  be 
unintelligible.    It  is  evident  from  the  above  texts  that 
holiness  is  not  the  condition  of  the  gospel.  And  I  could 
easily  quote  many  more.  But  if  faith  is  holiness,  and  if 
it  requires  a  holy  heart  to  act  it,  then  holiness  must  be 
the  condition  of  our  salvatioii;  and  then  there  can  be  no 
sense  in  the  gospel. 


3B0 

2.  If  there  is  one  particle  of  true  holiness  in  faith,  it 
is  so  much  done  in  the  salvation  of  a  sinner,  without  the 
imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness,  and  consequently 
contrary  to  the  gospel  plan.  If  the  sinner  can  get  one 
particle  of  holiness,  why  not  twenty  or  five  hundred? 
Where  is  the  stopping  place,  where  the  sinner  must  go 
to  Christ  for  more?  But  where  does  he  get  that  quantum 
of  holiness,  necessary  to  his  coming  to  Christ?  It  must 
some  how  come  from  Christ.  Does  he  get  it  from  Christ 
without  an  interest  in  him?  or  can  he  get  an  interest  in 
him  without  faith?  What  book  teaches  us  such  terms  of 
salvation?  Whatever  book  it  is,  it  surely  contradicts  the 
bible. 

3.  The  grand,  and  indeed  the  only  argument,  ^vhich  is 
of  any  force  to  demonstrate  that  faith  is  a  holy  act  is, 
because  it  is  an  act  of  obedience  to  God.  But  this  proves 
too  much  by  far;  and  consequently  it  proves  nothing  at 
all.  Every  act  of  obedience  to  the  moral  law,  performed 
with  a  holy  temper  of  heart  is  undoubtedly  a  holy  act; 
but  every  act  of  obedience  to  God  is  not  of  this  nature. 
Thousands  of  sinners  perform  a  thousand  acts  of  obedi- 
ence to  God  without  the  least  spark  of  true  holiness.  Many 
a  wricked  husband  loves  his  wife  and  children  with  as 
much  tenderness  as  the  law  of  God  requires  of  him, 
without  any  holiness.  Many  persons  attend  punctually  to 
the  preaching  of  the  word  and  support  the  gospel  liber- 
ally, some  attend  to  the  ordinances  and  even  live  an  honest, 
moral  life,  without  any  true  holiness.  Even  the  devils 
themselves  have  in  man}'  instances  obeyed  God  punctu- 
ally; at  his  command,  they  would  go  out  of  the  demoni- 
acs, submissively  ask  permission  to  enter  into  the  herd 
of  swine,  acknowledged  Christ  to  be  the  Son  God;  but 
yet  they  were  not  holy.  Now  if  every  act  of  obedience 
to  God  was  holiness,  both  wicked  men  and  devils  would 
be  holy.  No  one  denies  but  \3^hat  faith  is  an  act  of  obe- 
dience ;  but  it  does  not  follow  from  hence,  that  it  is  an 


361 

holy  act.  It  requires  more  than  obedience  io  constitute 
a  holy  action.  It  requires  the  heart  to  be  itself  holy,  pos- 
sessed of  complacence,  or  delight  in  the  moral  excellence 
of  the  thing  itself,  or  of  the  law  which  enjoins  it.  Does 
the  sinne'r  possess  such  a  heart  when  he  believes?  1  grant 
Christ  will  give  him  such  a  heart  afterwards,  when  he 
is  brought  from  under  the  curse  of  the  broken  law,  b}' 
the  imputation  of  the  perfect  righteousness  of  the  cross, 
by  faith;  and  in  so  doing  he  will  break  the  power  of  sin' 
and  implant  his  own  image.  But  tlie  question  is,  has  the 
sinner  got  it  before  he  comes  to  Christ?  If  you  say  yes, 
I  answer,  you  cannot  prove  it.  And  if  you  do,  you  will 
prove  that  the  whole  of  salvation  is  not  by  faith  in  Christ; 
and  if  you  do  that,  you  will  prove  that  the  bible  is  false. 
4.  God  is  undoubtedly  holy  in  all  things  which  he 
doth.  His  moral  laws  are  holy  in  their  nature.  His  posi- 
tive laws  are  right;  but  whether  they  are  holy  or  not,  is 
a  nice  question.  Holiness  is  a  radical  principle  which  can- 
not change.  God  cannot  change  his  moral  laws,  because 
they  are  holy;  if  he  would  change  them,  he  would  intro- 
duce what  M^ould  be  contrary  to  natural  holiness,  which 
must  be  sin.  But  he  can  change  his  positive  laws,  make 
them,  and  nullify  them,  when  he  pleases,  because  the} 
are  right  no  longer  than  it  was  his  pleasure. 
.  Faith  is  not  a  precept  of  the  moral  law;  but  a  positive 
command.  It  is  certainly  right  to  obey  it,  and  a  sin  to 
disobey  it.  But  whether  it  is  a  holy  act,  or  only  a  righte- 
ous act  to  obey  a  positive  precej)t,  is  so  nice  a  point  that 
I  would  not  wish  to  make  it  a  ground  of  argument  on 
cither  side  of  the  question  in  hand.  I  have  said  just  so 
much  on  it  as  will  show  that  my  opponent  has  something 
to  do,  that  will  be  something  difficult  before  he  can  de- 
monstrate that  it  requires  a  renewed  heart  to  perform  an 
act  of  obedience  to  a  mere  positive  precept,  especiall\ 
when  he  considers  that  it  is  a  condition  on  \\  hich  that 

2Z 


362 

very  holiness  is  to  be  bestowed  graciously  upon  the  sin- 
ner by  Christ  only. 

At  any  rate  this  argument  will  stand  good,  that  Christ 
offers  holiness  to  a  sinner  on  the  condition  that  he  will 
obey  a  positive  command;  even  consent  to  receive  sal- 
vation. Consequently  holiness  is  not  a  constituent  part 
of  faith,  but  a  grand  part  of  the  salvation  which  is  offered 
on  the  condition  of  faith.  There  is  a  great  difference  be- 
twixt the  proper  performance  of  a  moral  precept,  and  the 
performance  of  a  positive  precept,  especially  when  that 
precept  is  constituted  a  condition  of  a  covenant.  A  mere 
literal  performance  of  a  moral  precept  will  not  be  holi- 
ness, because  holiness  has  a  special  relation  to  the  dispo- 
sition, or  taste  of  the  heart;  if  that  is  wanting,  the  moral 
law  is  broken  still  in  the  particular  thing  which  it  requires. 
But  it  is  not  so  with  a  condition  of  a  covenant  which  is 
always  a  positive  law,  and  still  more  especially  in  the  con- 
dition of  the  covenant  of  grace,  where  holiness  is  the 
grand  blessing  proposed.  A  mere  literal  compliance  will 
give  a  just  claim  to  the  blessing  proposed,  and  will  lay 
the  party  proposing  under  engagements  to  perform;  and 
there  really  can  be  a  hearty  consent  to  the  gospel  without 
such  a  divine  and  spiritual  taste  for  holiness,  which  is  ne- 
cessary to  constitute  a  holy  heart.  If  it  were  not  so,  no 
sinner  could  ever  be  saved  on  the  plan  of  the  gospel; 
and  such  a  condition  as  would  require  holiness,  would 
never  suit  a  sinner.  If  the  gospel  offered  holiness  to  a 
sinner,  on  the  condition  of  holiness,  he  never  could  per- 
form the  condition;  and  the  thing  offered  must  be  given 
him  contrary  to  the  plan  of  the  gospel. 

5.  If  faith  is  a  holy  act,  it  must  proceed  from  a  holy 
principle  in  the  heart.  That  holy  principle  must  beget 
faith.  If  so,  then  holiness  is  not  begotten  in  the  soul,  in 
consequence  of  Christ's  imputed  righteousness;  for  that 
righteousness  is  always  imputed  by  faith.  The  blessings 
of  the  covenant  are  bestowed  partly  by  fait'h  and  partly 


363 

not;  partly  through  the  righteousness  of  Christ  and  partly 
some  other  way.  The  sinner  is  not  altogether  indebted  to 
the  cross;  for  he  obtains  a  grand  benefit  before  he  is  in- 
terested in  the  benefits  of  it.  Christ  performs  a  part  of 
his  offer  before  the  terms  are  complied  with.  He  gives  a 
great  blessing  bcfoie  the  curse  is  removed.  He  instamps 
his  image  before  the  sinner  is  willing.  He  gives  a  part  of 
the  gospel  feast  to  the  sinner  before  he  gives  the  wedding 
garment.  If  faith  is  a  holy  act,  no  sinner  can  ever  come 
to  Christ  as  a  sinner;  iiut  wearing  the  image  of  God,  in 
the  dress,  and  act  of  holiness.  If  faith  is  a  holy  act  pro- 
ceeding from  a  renewed  heart,  the  sinner  is  not  fit  for 
hell  when  he  comes  to  Christ;  for  holiness  disqualifies  for 
hell,  and  makes  fit  for  heaven.  The  spirit  of  adoption  is 
given  him  before  he  is  a  son.  He  may  claim  kindred  with 
God  whose  image  he  now  has,  before  he  is  united  to 
Christ  to  give  him  the  title.  He  has  the  earnest  of  the  in 
heritance  while  he  is  under  the  curse.  He  enjoys  the 
blessings  of  the  second  covenant,  before  he  is  dead  to 
the  first.  (Rom.  7.)  All  the  remainder  of  the  blessings  of 
the  covenant  is  granted  on  the  condition  of  holir.ess. 
The  blessings  of  sanctification  and  the  condition  on  which 
they  are  bestowed  are  the  same  thing.  If.  faith  is  a  hoi} 
act  proceeding  from  a  holy  heart,  when  Christ  says,  "  He 
"  that  believeth  shall  be  saved,  but  he  that  believeth  not 
"  shall  be  damned,"  he  means,  he  that  is  holy  shall  be 
made  holy,  but  he  that  is  not  holy  shall  remain  unholy. 

But  I  will  dismiss  the  subject,  and  leave  it  to  the  can- 
did reader  to  consider  my  arguments;  and  I  think  he  will 
be  convinced  that  faith  is  not  good  works,  but  the  con- 
sent of  a  lost  sinner  surrendering  to  the  olUrs  of  the 
gospel. 

Even  my  opponent  is  highly  pleased  with  the  excjuisite 
demonstration  of  the  apostle  Paul  in  the  fourth  chapter 
to  the  Romans;  yet  some  how,  he  does  not  notice  that 
the  logical  arguments  of  the  inspired  ajiostle  rompletel} 


364 

overthrows  his  opinion,  that  faith  is  a  holy  act,  and  a 
consequence  of  regeneration.  It  is  admitted  on  all  hands, 
that  the  essence  of  holiness  is  the  obedience  of  the  heart 
to  the  moral  law.  All  holy  actions  therefore  must  of 
course  be  a  conformity  to  the  law.  Consequently  if  faith 
is  a  holy  act,  it  must  be  a  conformity  to  ihe  moral  law; 
for  otherwise  it  could  not  be  holy.  This  my  opponent 
not  only  admits,  but  even  asserts  and  makes  the  very 
ground  of  his  argument.  Therefore  it  must  be  what  the 
apostle  means  by  works,  the  works  of  the  law,  the  law, 
and  the  deeds  of  the  law.  P'or  all  acknowledge  that  Paul 
by  these  phrases  meant  holiness  or  holy  obedience. 

Now  let  us   read  some  of  the    apostle's  arguments 
according  to  this  sentiment,  and  see  how"  it  will  look, 
(v.  2 — 6.)  "  If  Abraham  were  justified  by  an  act   of 
"  hoHness,  he  hath  whereof  to  glory.  But  (he  had)  not 
"  (whereof  to  glory)  before  God,  (for  he  was  justified  by 
"  faith).  For  Abraham  believed  God,  &c.  (Faith  there- 
"  fore  can  not  be  a  holy  act).  Now  to  him  that  worketh 
"  (performs  an  act  of  holiness)  is  the  reward  reckoned  not 
"  of  grace,  but  of  debt,  (because  an  act  of  holiness  is  a 
"  meritorious  act,  and  when  performed  as  a  condition, 
''  has  its  legal  claim  by  merit  and  not  by  promise).  But 
"  to  him  that  worketh  not,  (does  not  perform  a  holy  act), 
"  but  belie veth  (which  is  not  legal  or  holy  obedience, 
"but  only  the  gracious  condition  of  the  gospel;)  his 
''  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness.   Even  as  David  de- 
"  scribeth  the  blessedness  of  the  man  to  whom  God  im- 
''  puteth  righteousness  without  works,  (or  holy  obedi- 
"  ence).  (v.  13 — 16.)  For  the  promise  was  not  to  Abra- 
*'  ham,  and  his  seed  through  the  law,  (which,  would  be 
"  holiness)  but  through  the  righteousness  of  faith  (which, 
*'  on  the  contrary,  has  no  holiness  in  it).  For  if  they  which 
"  are  of  the  law,  (who  are  considered  as  holy  and  conse- 
"  quently  meritorious)  be  heirs,  faith  (which  has  no  me- 
"  rit  in   it,  and  is  the  only  possible  condition  of  free 


365 

''  grace)  is  made  void,  (the  very  nature  and  design  of  it  is 
"  destroyed  by  introducing  the  law  in  its  place,)  and  the 
"  promise  made  of  none  effect,  (the  gracious  plan  of  the 
"  gospel  with  all  its  engagements  by  promise  is  nullified). 
•'  Because  the  law  worketh  wrath.  (The  law  being  bro- 
"  ken  has  no  part  in  the  condition  of  the  gospel,  if  it  had 
"  it  would  demand  perfect  holiness  and  would  condemn 
"  the  sinner  instead  of  confirm  his  right  to  the  pro- 
"  mise;)  for  where  no  law  is  there  is  no  transgression. 
"  (But  when  the  moral  law  has  no  place  as  a  condition  in 
"  the  gospel,  the  believer  dees  not  come  under  its  con- 
"  demning  power  and  consequently  it  does  not  interfere 
"  with  the  rights  and  privileges  of  believers).  Therefore 
"  it  is  of  faith  that  it  might  be  by  grace,  &c.  (It  is  en- 
*'  tirely  of  faith  independent  of  the  law,  so  that  the  whole 
•*  benefits  of  the  gospel  might  be  purely  of  grace,  with- 
"  out  any  worth  or  excellence  in  the  believer,  and  that 
*'  Christ  might  have  the  whole  glory  of  our  salvation." 

It  is  true  the  apostle  was  vindicating  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law.  But  if 
faith  be  a  holy  act,  it  must  be  a  part  of  holy  obedience 
to  the  moral  law,  which  will  necessarily  introduce  the  law 
into  the  scheme  of  the  gospel,  and  make  obedience  to  it, 
the  very  conditionary  article,  which  the  apostle  has  surelv 
refuted  in  this  chapter  with  his  usual  force  and  ingenuity. 

By  consulting  Gal.  3.  11,  12.  we  find  the  very  same 
doctrme  vindicated.  It  is  said,  tliat  it  is  evident  that  no 
man  is  justified  by  the  law,  because  the  just  shall  live  by 
faith;  and  the  law  is  quite  a  difterent  thing,  and  expresslv 
declared  to  be  not  of  faith.  But  if  faith  be  an  act  of  holy 
obedience  to  the  law,  which  it  must  be  if  it  is  holy  at  all, 
then  it  must  be  the  very  same  as  the  law,  which  is  directly 
contradictory  to  the  whole  of  the  above  demonstration. 

What  God  has  put  asunder,  let  no  man  join  together 


366 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  process  of  the  gospel  with  a  sinner  according  to  the 
plan  I  have  explained.  Some  objections  answered. 

Let  us  now  take  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  power- 
ful effects  of  the  gospel  on  a  sinner  in  drawin,^  him  to 
Christ,  agreeably  to  the  plan  which  I  have  laid  down  and 
endeavoured  to  explain. 

L  The  sinner  is  indeed  in  a  deplorable  condition; 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins;  sinful,  morally  vile,  and 
polluted;  alienated  from  God  and  holiness;  estranged 
from  every  thing  morally  good;  a  slave  to  sin  and  Satan; 
under  the  reigning  power  of  his  own  lust,  and  corrup- 
tion. Add  to  this,  he  is  a  guilty  creature  exposed  to 
wrath,  and  the  sore  displeasure  of  God,  under  the  curse 
of  the  broken  law,  and  entirely  helpless,  unable  to  deliver 
himself  from  this  miserable  condition;  and  what  still 
adds  to  his  unhappiness,  he  is  entirely  insensible  of  his 
lost  and  undone  state. 

2.  In  this  miserable  situation  the  gospel  finds  him, 
informs  him  of  his  lost  state,  and  offers  him  salvation. 
The  stupid  insensible  wretch  is  disposed  to  slight  the 
offers,  hears  with  inattention,  and  slowly  learns  that  he 
has  any  need  of  a  Saviour.  The  gospel  is  fraught  with 
every  necessary  instruction,  and  meets  every  deplorable 
account,  with  a  kind  offer  of  mercy.  The  kind  overtures 
of  every  necessary  grace  are  handed  out,  attended  with 
an  accurate  account  of  the  whole  plan  and  procedure, 
with  the  simple  conditions  on  which  the  blessings  of  the 
gospel  are  to  be  bestowed.  Every  proper  motive  attends 
the  solemn  proposals  dressed  in  every  form,  and  intro- 
duced under  every  advantage  addressing  the  hopes  and 
fears  of  the  sinner.  But  all  will  not  move,  until  the  Spi- 


367 


rit  of  God  coincs  with  power,  and  accompanies  the  truth 
to  the  conscicnac.  Strange  lluit  a  reasonable  creature 
should  be  so  hard  to  induce  to  lay  to  heart  his  best  in- 


terest. 


o    Divine   grace   accompanies  the   doctrines   of  the 
word;  and  the  very  first  eftect  produced  is,  the  sinner  is 
convinced  of  his  lost  state.    He  feels  himse  f  a  guilty 
sinner,  and  finds  at  length  that  he  must  perish  ior  ever, 
unless  the  Lord  will  have  mercy  upon  him.  He  is  now 
disposed  to  give  ear  to  what  Christ  otters  him   m  the 
Jpel;  he  hears  as  for  his  life  and  soul;  and  at  length 
under  the  teaching  of  God's  Spirit  accompanyu^g  the 
word,  he  finds  there  is  full  salvation  ofi^ered  freely  to  him, 
on   the   humiliating,    but  easy  condition  of   bclievmg. 
Pardon  and  sanctification  are  oftered  freely.   Pardon  on 
the  footing  of  Christ's  own  death  and  sufferings  in  the 
guilty  sinner's  place;  which  righteousness  is  imputable  by 
faith  and  entitles  to  every  blessing  of  the  covenant  of 
^race,  necessary  to  his  complete  salvation.  Such  views 
he  has  of  himself,  and  of  Christ  in  the  gospel,  as  dis- 
pose and  enable  him  to  consent  to  be  saved  accordmgto 
Christ's  own  plan.  Encouraged  thereunto  by  the  simple 
offers  of  the  gospel,  and  urged  by  a  sense  of  his  own 
wretchedness;  he  ventures  his  eternal  all  upon  Christ, 
and  endeavours  as  well  as  he  can,  to  put  his  trust  in  the 
sreat  atonement.  , 

Thus  the  Spirit  of  God  gives  faith;  and  thus  the  sm- 
ner  is  induced  to  come  to  Christ;  and  he  comes  to  him 
for  salvation;  thus  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace 
is  fulfilled;  and  thus  the  sinner  comes,  as  a  sinner  to  the 
crcat  Phvsician  of  souls,  with  nothing  but  guilt  and 
sin;  and 'pleads  the  righteousness  of  Christ  for  every 

thinir  he  needs. 

Having  thus  taken  a  .l.ort  vie,v  of  the  s.nnc-r  coming 
to  Christ.  1  shall  answer  some  objeetions  to  tins  plan. 


368 

1.  It  is  quite  too  easy.  Any  sinner  might  be  saved  on 
such  easy  terms.  I  most  cheerfully  give  up  to  the  sen- 
timent; and  I  count  it  one  of  the  peculiar  glories  of  the 
gospel  that  this  is  really  true.  I  would  not  indeed  say  it 
is  too  easy;  but  I  will  say  it  is  as  easy  as  any  thing  can 
possibly   be,  unless  we  make   it  hard  by   introducing 
some  of  our  own  judaizing  ceremonies,  or  some  pieces 
of  our  heathenish  philosophy.   Then  we  will  make   it 
hard  indeed.  I  will  venture  to  say,  that  whenever  a  seri- 
ous inquiring  soul  gets  his  mind  rid  of  all  his  romantic 
notions,  his  views  of  selfish  recommendations,  particu- 
larly his  worthiness  to  come  to  Christ;   when  he  is  pro- 
perly humbled  under  a  sense  of  his  utter  inability  to  do 
any  one  thing  whatsoever  to  make  him  more  acceptable 
than  he  is,  or  ever  was  since  he  fell  in  Adam ;  and  dis- 
covers the  free  oft'ers  of  complete   salvation  made  by 
Christ  in  the  gospel  to  his  own  soul,  the  whole  business 
will  be  settled  immediately.  There  is  no  more  time  neces- 
sary, than  for  the  sinner  to  make  up  his  mind.   When  a 
man  sees  that  hell  is  his  portion,  unless  he  gets  deliver- 
ance, and  finds  deliverance  at  hand  in  the  offers  of  the 
gospel,  full  and  free,  by  an  almighty  Saviour  able  to  save 
to  the  uttermost.  In  such  a  case  as  this,  one  half  minute 
is  enough  to  fix  the  whole  business.    He  has  nothing  to 
do  but  to  give  his  consent;  and  by  that  simple  act  of  the 
mind,  he  casts  all  upon  Christ.   Does  he  do  wrong  in 
this?  No:  Christ  asks  him  to  do  it;  and  his  doing  it,  is 
nothing  but  what  Christ  requires  as  the  condition  of  the 
gospel.  If  he  would  not  do  it  he  would  be  damned  for 
not  doing  it.  Now  is  this  sinking  mountains,  and  filling 
up  valleys?  Is  it  a  holy  act,  and  does  it  require  a  sancti- 
fied spirit  to  perform  it?  No  such  thing.  It  is  properly 
doing  nothing,  but  v/hat  is  consistent  with  a  moral  agent 
to  do,  in  his  own  case ;  even  to  give  his  consent  for 
Christ  to  do  all.  And  what  has  Christ  to  do?  Answer. 
He  has  every  thing  to  do.  What  does  the  sinner  need? 


369 

riiis  will  answer  the  question  fully  :  rij^hteousncss,  par- 
don, justification,  repentance,  love,  holiness.  Cannot 
Christ  do  it?  Will  he  do  it?  Has  he  proposed  to  do  it? 
(Mark  16.  16.)  This  is  hard  work  I  confess.  Not  hard 
for  him  who  is  almighty;  but  it  would  be  truly  hard  for 
the  sinner.  Hard,  did  I  say  for  the  sinner?  He  might  try 
his  utmost  to  do  the  smallest  particle  of  it.  But  he  would 
fail  and  be  damned  at  last.  But  Christ  does  it,  who  can 
do  it.  And  what  has  the  sinner  to  do?  Answer.  Nothing. 
But. the  objection  says  this  is  too  easy.  Yes,  I  confess  it 
is  too  easy  for  pride,  arrogance,  haughtiness  of  spirit, 
self- righteousness.  An  independent  genius  would  wish 
to  do  every  thing  himself,  and  be  as  little  beholden  to 
Christ  as  possible;  and  when  he  goes  on  these  self-righte- 
ous principles,  he  effects  nothing;  and  all  he  does  is  to  be 
repented  of.  It  is  indeed  impossible  for  the  sinner  to 
save  himself;  and  the  more  we  intermix  the  condition  of 
the  gospel  with  self-righteous  notions,  the  harder  and 
darker  we  make  the  gospel  to  ourselves;  hence  the  apos- 
tle most  elegantly  says  to  the  Corinthians,  "  Ye  are  not 
"  straitened  in  us,  but  ye  are  straitened  in  your  own 
"  bowels."  If  God  is  pleased  to  make  the  condition  of 
our  salvation  easy,  must  we  poor  helpless  wretches  ob. 
ject  to  it?  But  it  is  said  any  sinner,  and  every  sinner 
might  be  saved  on  such  terms.  Yes  truly;  sinners  of  the 
worst  stamp,  even  if  they  were  ten  thousand  times  worse 
than  the  devil  could  make  them,  might  be  both  easily 
an-1  completely  saved,  on  the  very  terms  of  the  gospel; 
even  the  ignorant  and  unlearned,  dunces  and  half  fools, 
and  African  slaves  may  be  saved  as  well  as  the  most 
learned  bishops  in  the  world.  And  is  this  a  fault?  What 
if  God  is  pleased  to  fix  the  plan  of  the  gospel  so,  as  to 
be  a  stumbling  block  to  the  wise  and  prudent,  to  the 
proud  Pharisee  and  the  philosophers  of  Greece,  and  yet 
to  save  the  poor  believer,  must  we  be  offended  at  the 
jilan,  and  count  the  terms  too  low?  Suppose  he  chooses 

3  A 


370 

the  foolish  things  of  the  world,  to  confound  the  wise; 
the  weak,  to  confouiid  the  mighty;  the  things  which  are 
base  and  desj)ised  and  even  things  which  are  in  the  es- 
timation of  men  insignificant  and  nothing,  to  bring  to 
nothing  the  high  towering  schemes  of  proud  mortals, 
that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence;  (1  Cor.  1.  21 
— 31.)  Is  this  a  fault  too?  Suppose  the  publicans  and 
harlots  gain  admittance  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  just 
by  )  ielding  to  Christ,  while  the  highflying  adept  in  or- 
thodoxy binding  heavy  burdens  on  men's  shoulders  is 
shut  out;  Would  this  be  a  fault?  Suppose  Zaccheus  ob- 
tained salvation  by  coming  down  at  the  call  of  Christ 
and  receiving  him  joyfully;  Was  this  a  fault?  Suppose 
the  disciples  received  salvation  just  by  leaving  their  nets 
at  the  call  of  Christ  and  following  him;  Was  this  a  fault? 
Suppose  the  thief  on  the  cross,  went  to  paradise  just  by  •« 
saying,  "  Lord  remember  me;"  Was  this  a  fault?  Sup- 
pose the  poor  publican  met  with  the  divine  approbation 
by  saying  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner;"  Was  this 
a  fault?  Must  the  sinner  be  at  the  pains  to  do  impossibi- 
lities, and  absurdities?  iVlust  he  send  to  heaven  to  bring 
Christ  down  from  above,  as  if  Christ  had  never  come,  or 
had  done  nothing  when  he  was  come,  worth  depending 
upon?  Or  must  he  send  down  into  the  grave  as  if  Christ 
had  never  risen,  or  given  any  proof  of  the  validity  of  his 
sufferings?  This  would  indeed  be  like  doing  something. 
But  what  if  the  sinner,  instead  of  being  at  all  this  trouble 
and  expense,  would  take  for  granted  what  the  gospel  told 
him,  and  v/ould  believe  that  all  was  ready,  brought  to 
hand,  and  laid  at  the  very  door  of  his  heart?  If  therefore 
he  would  acknowledge  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  consent  to 
him  under  the  view  of  his  beins:  the  true  and  all-sufficient 
Saviour,  and  Avould  be  saved;  would  it  be  any  harm? 
If  the  rich  young  scribe,  who  had  kept  all  the  command- 
ments from  his  youth  up,  had  disposed  of  his  estate, 
morality  and  all,  and  had  taken  Christ  at  his  ^vord  and 


371 

followed  him,  would  he  not  have  made  a  good  exchange? 
and  would  it  have  been  any  harm  for  Christ  to  ha\  e  given 
him  treasure  in  heaven,  on  such  low,  and  easy  terms? 
The  truth  is,  those  who  do  not  like  the  easy  terms  of  the 
gospel,  will  fnid  terms  hard  enough  for  them;  terms  too 
hard  for  devils  to  fulfil;  terms  which  made  the  Lord 
Jesus  sweat  blood  to  fulfil;  terms  which  will  make  them 
weep,  and  wail,  and  gnash  their  teeth  for  ever  in  the  lake 
of  hell. 

2.  It  is  objected  that  this  view  of  the  gospel  plan  makes 
faith  a  selfish  thing,  begotten  by  the  fear  of  punishment 
and  the  hope  of  salvation.  I  am  so  far  from  denying  what 
is  here  asserted,  that  I  would  object  myself  against  any 
plan  that  any  man  could  propose,  unless  it  was  founded 
on  these  very  principles. 

This  objection  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  very  sprightly 
observation  of  Mr.  Marshall  in  his  treatise  on  sanctifica- 
tion,  in  answer  to  this  very  objection.  He  represents  such 
objectors  as  directing  sinners  in  coming  to  Christ,  to 
carry  fire  in  one  hand  to  burn  up  heaven,  and  water  in 
the  other  to  quench  the  fire  of  hell.  This  observation  is 
not  only  sprightly,  but  it  really  gives  a  striking  view  of 
the  ridiculous  nature  of  th.ose  disinterested  ideas  of  reli- 
gion which  are  made  such  a  distinguishing  mark  of  true 
grace.  Some  divines  insist,  that  a  man  cannot  be  a  sound 
believer  unless  made  even  willing  to  go  to  hell,  and  rather 
choose  it,  if  he  thought  it  most  for  the  glory  of  God. 
Nemo  semper  sapit.  Wise  and  good  men  will  some- 
times say  foolish  things;  and  it  is  generally  our  duty  to 
bear  with  their  folly;  but  when  such  ridiculous  nonsense 
as  this  is  handed  out  to  the  world,  the  men  ought  to  be 
pitied,  and  the  sentiment  ought  to  be  most  cordially  des- 
pised. If  any  man  was  to  tell  me  that  he  felt  so,  I  would 
without  the  least  hesitation  conclude  that  he  was  cither  a 
liar  or  a  fool.  No  man  in  his  senses  ever  did  feci  so, 
ever  will,  or  ever  can,  imlcss  in  a  fit  of  dull  stupiditv  and 


372 

downright  sullenness.  I  grant  the  hardened,  careless  sin- 
ner feels  careless  about  hell  or  heaven.  But  to  be  care- 
less or  indifferent  about  punishment,  is  downright  rebel- 
lion against  God  in  all  the  threatenings  of  his  word.  To 
be  indifferent  about  heaven,  is  a  wicked  slighting  all  the 
offers  of  the  gospel.  Christ  says,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you 
"  fear  him,  who  is  able  to  cast  both  soul  and  body  into 
"  hell."He  also  says, "  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate." 
But  I  need  not  quote  particular  texts;  the  whole  gospel 
addresses  our  hopes  and  fears.  Does  God  intend  that  we 
should  take  no  heed  to  what  he  says,  and  neither  fear  his 
justice  nor  desire  his  mercy?  To  make  such  wicked  re- 
bellion against  God  the  distinguishing  mark  of  true 
faith,  or  even  any  part  of  it,  is  both  wicked  and  danger- 
ous. Before  any  such  thing  could  take  place,  a  man  must 
have  less  sense,  and  less  feeling  in  him  than  an  idiot. 
He  must  be  incapable  of  any  argument  or  any  impression 
from  motives  of  any  kind  whatsoever. 

It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  do  any  one  thing  without 
consulting  self-interest.  In  vain  we  pretend  to  put  on 
the  stoic,  and  say  that  our  conduct  is  indifferent  as  to 
what  we  conceive  to  be  our  best  interest.  God  does  not 
require  us  to  feel  ourselves  disinterested;  but  on  the  con- 
trary he  has  calculated  his  gospel  to  rouse  us  to  a  sense 
of  our  danger,  and  calls  upon  us  to  act  accordingly. 
What  harm  is  it  for  us  to  consult  our  interest?  Was 
it  wrong  for  Christ  to  endure  the  cross  and  despise  the 
shame  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him?  certainly  no. 
Is  it  wrong  for  us  to  follow  his  example,  and  accept  of 
the  righteousness  of  the  cross,  for  the  joy  he  sets  before 
us  as  the  happy  consequence  of  doing  so?  impossible. 
If  this  objection  is  good,  Moses  had  no  religion;  because 
he  had  respect  to  the  recompense  of  reward.  And  Paul 
was  highly  blamable  for  recommending  him  so  highly 
for  it,  even  making  this  the  moving  spring  of  his  faith. 
Surely  my  opponent  in  his  principles  must  think  that 


373 

Paul  gives  Moses  a  very  bad  character,  in  declaring  that 
sclf-intcrcst  was  the  very  foundation  of  his  faith.  Were 
1  to  say  that  because  Moses  esteemed  the  reproach  of 
Christ  greater  riches  than  all  the  treasures  of  Egypt,  and 
because  he  had  respect  to  the  recompense  of  reward, 
therefore  he  chose  Christ,  and  so  became  a  believer,  my 
opponent  would  object  either  to  the  truth  of  my  story,  or 
to  Moses's  faith  as  selfish.  But  Paul  says  so,  and  I  leave 
him  and  Paul  to  contest  the  subject.  Noah's  faith  was 
not  a  whit  better;  the  nioving  cause  of  his  faith  was  his 
being  moved  with  fear  at  the  warning  of  God.  So  Abra- 
ham  also  looked  for  a  city  which  hath  foundations  whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God.  Such  persons  seek  a  country, 
a  better  country,  that  is  a  heavenly.  Paul  himself  viewed 
his  crown  which  he  expected  to  receive  at  the  last  day 
and  kept  the  faith.  Peter  exhorts  to  give  diligence  to 
make  our  calling  and  election  sure;  so  that  we  may  have 
an  abundant  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord. 

If  a  selfish  principle  spoils  our  faith,  why  does  tlie 
gospel  uniformly  address  our  selfish  feelings?  If  Christ 
will  not  receive  a  sinner  when  he  comes  to  him  for  fear 
he  dies,  why  does  he  tell  him  he  will  die  if  he  docs  not 
come?  If  Christ  will  reject  a  sinner  if  he  comes  to  him 
on  the  hopes  of  receiving  life  from  him,  why  does  he 
offer  him  life,  if  he  does  come?  If  the  objection  is  valid, 
what  would  Christ  do  if  a  poor  lost  sinner  would  come, 
alarmed  by  the  danger  which  Christ  warned  him  of,  and 
encouraged  by  the  hope  of  deliverance  which  Christ  of- 
fered him;  and  especially  after  he  had  said,  "  him  that 
"  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  nowise  cast  out?"  I  say,  what 
would  Christ  do  in  this  case,  if  the  objection  offered  be 
valid?  He  must  reject  him,  because  his  faith  was  stirred 
up  by  a  selfish  principle;  and  yet  Christ  himself  provoked 
that  very  principle  in  the  sinner  by  offering  to  deliver 
him  from  danger,  and  to  make  him  happy  if  he  would 
come:  and  add  to  all  this,  he  had  insured  him  that  he 


374 

would  not  cast  him  out  if  he  came,  for  no  cause  what- 
soever. What  would  Christ  do?*^ 

*  If  the  devil  had  been  the  author  of  this  disinterested  scheme  of 
faith,  I  would  have  given  him  great  credit  for  his  ingenuity,  subtlety 
and  art;  although  I  would  never  have  expected  that  he  could  have 
succeeded  with  sinners,  had  not  the  bible  and  experience  proven 
the  real  fact.  (2  Cor.  4.  4.).  When  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  offers  sal- 
vation freely  to  all  who  will  come  unto  him,  and  urges  by  motives 
addressed  to  our  hopes  and  fears,  it  would  be  a  grand  piece  of  policy 
in  Satan  to  invalidate  the  force  of  those  motives,  by  persuading  sin- 
ners to  believe  that  to  be  afraid  of  hell,  and  desire  to  go  to  heaven,  are 
inconsistent  with  true  religion;  and  that  they  must  be  born  again  and 
by  a  holy  temper  of  heart,  they  must  possess  an  ingenuity  of  principles, 
and  a  heart  set  purely  on  holiness  without  any  desire  towards  self- 
interest  or  any  motions  from  the  thought  of  pleasure  or  pain,  before 
they  can  come  to  Christ.  He  gains  many  a  soul  by  this  stratagem, 
and  worries  many  poor  believers  half  to  death  by  it,  and  causes  them 
to  go  halting  perhaps  all  their  days;  while  a  sinner  lives  secure  in 
sin,  it  would  be  good  policy  in  Satan  to  let  him  alone;  but  if  he  is  alarm- 
ed under  a  sense  of  his  danger,  then  it  is  the  devil's  policy  to  keep  his 
eyes  blind  as  to  the  gospel  plan.  If  possible,  he  must  lead  him  into 
self-righteous  schemes  and  try  to  keep  him  from  Christ.  If  the  sinner 
seems  to  turn  his  views  towards  Christ,  great  ingenuity  is  necessary 
lo  induce  him  to  fix  his  affairs  in  due  order.  Faith  must  now  be  re- 
presented as  a  very  nice  and  profound  piece  of  divinity;  and  he  must 
represent  the  Lord  Jesus  as  very  choice  as  to  whom  he  will  receive. 
There  must  be  no  such  a  thing  as  a  Haw  in  faith;  it  must  be  the  ge- 
nuine stamp.  It  must  not  have  any  fear  in  it,  nor  any  desire  of  happi- 
ness. This  would  be  very  artful;  by  this  means  the  sinner  would 
immediately  begin  to  fix  for  Christ;  and  the  task  is  as  hard  as  for  the 
Israelites  to  make  brick  without  straw. 

Poor  sinners!  it  is  a  pity  of  them  when  they  are  led  blindfolded  to 
their  own  destruction.  They  are  prompted  to  endeavour  after  things, 
which  are  impossible  for  them  ever  to  obtain;  even  a  disinterested  faith. 
They  never  can  feel  themselves  disinterested.  They  try  to  come  to 
Christ  without  any  desire  to  be  saved  by  him;  but  they  find  it  impossi- 
ble. They  try,  and  try  again  but  never  can  get  in  right  fix  at  all.  I 
wish  preachers  would  take  heed  lest  they  further  the  cause  of  Satan 
with  their  definitions  of  faith;  lest  they  keep  more  souls  from  Christ 
than  they  bring  to  him.  And  I  advise  sinners  to  study  the  gospel  bet- 
ter, and  come  to  Christ  just  as  they  are  without  any  qeremonies  about 
it.  lest  they  be  damned  and  go  to  hell  before  they  are  ready  to  believe. 


375 

3.  Another  objection  is,  '*  it  indulges  sloth,  inatten- 
tion to  religion,  and  begets  a  lazy,  ungodly  spirit,  and 
prevents  progress  in  holiness,  and  upon  the  whole  en- 
courages sin  instead  of  sanctification. 

This  is  a  bold  objection,  but  a  very  common  one.  It 
strikes,  barefacedly  at  the  gospel  plan.  The  simple  lan- 
guage of  this  objection  is  this:  The  believer  feels  no 
gratitude  to  his  benefactor.  He  is,  and  must  be  an  un- 
generous, ungraetful  wretch  to  the  best  of  friends.  I 
have  often  thought  of  this  objection,  and  have  often  at- 
tempted to  answer  it  in  the  pulpit;  but  I  scarcely  ever 
think  of  it  but  with  abhorrence.  If  we  think  that  sancti- 
fication is  our  own  work,  and  that  Christ  has  nothing  to 
do  in  the  business  but  look  on  and  applaud  our  activity 
in  religion  for  doing  things  the  scripture  says  we  can- 
not do,  this  objection  must  stand  good.  But  if  it  is  the 
work  of  Christ  to  sanctify  by  his  Spirit;  and  if  we  are 
led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  when  we  are  the  sons  of  God; 
if  the  Spirit  of  Christ  dwells  in  us,  and  helps  our  infirmi- 
ties, and  sanctifies  us  wholly  in  body,  soul,  and  spirit  in 
consequence  of  his  faithfulness,  who  has  said  he  will  do 
it;  then  this  objection  appears  in  its  abominable  colours, 
intending  to  sap  the  very  foundation  of  the  gospel.  It 
robs  Christ  of  the  whole  honour  of  the  work  of  sanctifi- 
cation, which  is  the  principal  honour  of  the  Redeemer, 
and  gives  it  to  the  paltry  activity  of  the  helpless  sinner. 
It  is  presumed  by  this  objector  that  a  sinner  can  do 
something  if  he  would  try.  If  he  has  something  to  do  he 
will  he  stirred  up  to  do  it;  and  that  nothing  will  be  done 
for  him,  or  to  him,  or  in  him  but  on  conditions  of  his 
doing  something  for  himself.  If  this  is  not  the  very  spi- 
rit of  the  objection  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  what  it  means. 
I  am  confident  the  objector  cannot  honestly  look  his 
own  objection  in  the  face  without  a  blush.  \\'hat  can  the 
sinner  do?  Suppose  he  would  do  his  best,  what  would  it 
be?  Would  it  be  pardon,  regeneration  or  sanctification^ 


376 

It  is  very  evident  from  the  bible  he  would  do  neither  of 
these.  So  with  all  that  is  said  and  done,  there  is  nothing 
done.  It  is  truly  hard  work,  to  work  hard  and  do  nothing 
at  last.  Yet  it  is  supposed  that  it  is  better  to  be  very 
active  ourselves  than  look  to  Christ;  and  it  seems  as  if  it 
was  dangerous  to  trust  to  him.  Will  not  Christ  do  more, 
and  can  he  not  do  more  for  us  than  we  can  do  for  our- 
selves? The  sinner  comes  to  Christ  for  salvation.  Christ 
promises  to  give  it  to  him.  A  part  of  that  salvation  is 
sanctification,  and  Christ  is  faithful  to  his  promise,  and 
gives  his  Spirit  to  work  in  him  both  to  will  and  to  do  of 
his  good  pleasure.  Now,  what  danger  can  there  be  in 
coming  to  Christ  for  all  things,  under  the  encouragement 
which  he  has  given,  to  do  all  things  for  us  most  gra- 
ciously. Will  Christ  under  all  these  engagements  and  pro- 
mises, dwelling  in  the  believer's  heart  by  his  Spirit  which 
he  has  given  him,  suffer  the  believer  to  go  to  sleep? 
Will  the  Spirit  of  Christ  be  inactive  in  the  believer's 
heart,  until  he  wakes?  Surely  such  objectors  have  a 
miserable  idea  of  the  faith,  fulness  and  good  manage- 
ment of  Christ,  and  a  very  high  opinion  of  their  own 
wisdom,  strength  and  dexterity.  How  far  do  they  differ 
from  Paul!  Paul  said  he  lived,  but  retracts  the  idea,  as 
if  unworthy  of  his  dear  Saviour.  He  corrects  his  expres- 
sion, *'  Yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me;  and  the  life 
"  which  I  live,  I  live  by  the  fliith  of  the  Son  of  God." 

Did  ever  my  opponent  notice  that  Paul,  with  his  usual 
ingenuity,  and  force  of  argument,  answers  this  very  ob- 
jection? Let  every  one  who  thinks  it  dangerous  to  come 
simply  to  Christ  as  a  lost  sinner  and  trust  him  with  his 
whole  salvation;  let  every  one  who  thinks  it  indulges 
and  connives  at  sin,  and  begets  sloth;  let  every  one  who 
imagines  he  can  effect  something  noble  by  his  own  in- 
dustry, read  Rom.  6.  "  What  shall  we  say  then?  shall 
'*  we  continue  in  sin  that  grace  may  abound?  God 
"forbid."  But  let  me  just  remark  that  my  opponent's 


argument  rests  on  the  supposition  that  we  can  do  some- 
thing, and  that  Clirist  will  not  do  what  he  has  to  do,  un- 
less wc  do  our  part.  But  the  apostle's  argument  rests  on 
this:  that  our  spiritual  life  depends  on  our  interest  in 
Christ's  death,  and  the  efficacy  of  his  resurrjection,  by  the 
same  Sj)irit  whicli  raised  him  from  the  dead,  quickening 
us  unto  good  works,  and  rousing  us  from  our  sleep  and 
death  in  sin,  to  a  life  of  holiness;  and  that  the  whole  is  in 
consequence  of  our  union  with  Christ  by  faith.  I  cannot 
but  note  that  the  apostle  mentions,  that  while  they  were 
strangers  to  Christ,  they  w^re  the  servants  of  sin ;  but 
after  they  had  obeyed  the  gospel  they  became  free  from 
sin  and  servants  to  righteousness  (verse  17.  18.).  Upon 
the  whole  I  conclude  m}'^  answer  to  this  objection  by 
asking  this  interesting  question:  whether  I  ought  to 
yield  to  my  opponent's  objection  founded  on  self-righte- 
ous principles,  or  to  the  sentiment  of  an  inspired  apostle 
who  founds  his  sentiment  on  our  interest  in  Christ  who 
is  able  to  make  us  alive  unto  God;  and  who  will  do  it 
according  to  his  promise  in  consequence  of  our  interest 
in  his  death. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  use  of  the  means  of  grace. 

We  are  often  directed  to  use  the  means  of  grace.  This 
is  indeed  a  very  good  direction  in  its  proper  place. 
Sometimes  they  are  not  used  at  all;  sometimes  they  are 
used  slightly,  or  merely  in  a  formal  manner;  and  some- 
times they  are  used  in  the  room  of  the  things,  for  the 
obtaining  of  which  they  were  appointed. 

There  arc  three  things  \vhich  may  be  considered  as 
the  means  of  grace,  which  I  will  mention.  The  reading 
of  the  word,  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  or  rather  the 

3R 


o  t 


gospel  preached,  and  prayer.  All  which  are  made  effectual 
to  salvation  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  By  reading  we  may 
understand,  particularly  our  making  ourselves  acquainted 
with  the  holy  bible,  which  is  the  only  foundation  of  all 
true  religion.  Although  the  principles  of  reason  do 
mightily  assist  us  to  understand  the  doctrines  of  religion 
when  we  have  the  radical  principles  laid  down,  yet  it  is 
proper  to  say  that  true  religion  is  always,  since  inspiration 
has  ceased,  derived  from  the  bible;  and  it  is  the  grand 
work  of  the  divine  Spirit  to  cause  the  truths  derived 
from  the  wo)-d,  suil^bly  to  impress  the  heart.  The  Spirit 
helps  us  to  understand  truth,  disposes  us  to  think,  and 
apply  our  hearts  to  die  truth,  but  never  reveals  any  new 
truths,  not  contained  in  the  Avord  of  God.  2  Tit.  1. 
19 — 21.  2  Tim.  3.  15 — 17.  The  reading  of  books  is  an 
excellent  mean  of  improvement,  and  tends  to  explain  the 
bible  and  help  us  to  understand  the  truths  therein  con- 
tained. But  care  ought  to  be  taken  here,  as  well  as  in 
preaching  the  word,  that  we  do  not  suiTer  ourselves  to 
be  led  astray  by  the  ignorance  of  authors,  or  wicked 
designing  men  who  have  done  much  harm  in  the  world, 
by  departing  from  the  truth  and  endeavouring  to  esta- 
blish their  own  notions,  and  artfully  insinuating  their  own 
selfish  schemes  instead  of  explaining  the  doctrines  of  the 
bible.  It  is  recorded  to  the  everlasting  honour  of  the 
Bereans  (Acts  17.  11.)  "  that  they  received  the  word 
*'  w^ith  all  readiness  of  mind,  and  searched  the  scriptures 
*-*  daily,  (to  know)  whether  those  things  (which  even  the 
"  inspired  apostles  preached)  were  so"  (or  not). 

2.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  is  indeed  the  peculiar 
means  of  grace  which  God  in  his  infinite  wisdom  has 
appointed  for  the  salvation  of  sinners.  This  is  no  dispar- 
agement to  the  written  word.  Although  the  written  word 
is  the  foundation  of  all  sound  preaching,  and  ought  to  be 
considered  so  both  by  preachers  and  hear.ers,  (and  no 
man  preaches  or  hears  as  he  ought  to  do,  unless  he 
prove  the  doctrine,  either  by  positive  texts,  or  by  the , 


379 


'  general   construction  of  scripture  doctrine)  yet  God  is 
pleased  to  accompany  his  preached  word  with  power,  to 
the  conviction  of  sinners,  and  to  buildinj^  up  believers  in 
the   faith.    There  is  something  in  the  nature  of  puiolic 
preaching  ^^■hich  the  world  feels  and    cannot    help  but 
feel,  which  is  better  felt  than  told;  which  makes  the 
preaching  of  the  word  the  principal  mean  of  grace.   I 
will  mention  a  few  particulars.  The  natural  disposition  of 
mankind  to  appear  in  public,  to  mingle  widi  the  crowd, 
even  to  see  and  be  seen,  is  no  trifling  circumstance  in 
such  a  case  as  this,  where  almighty  Power  can,  and  often 
does  accompanv,  even  a  single  sentence  to  die  heart  and 
render  it  eftectual  to  salvation.  Thousands  of  mstances 
make  itc^■ident  that  persons  who  would  not  read  a  chap- 
ter in  the  bible  for  weeks  or  months,  have  been  brought 
perhaps  by  mere  curiosity,  or  may  be  something  worse, 
to  hear  a  sermon  which  has  been  made  the  date  or  in- 
troduction of  serious  attention  to  religion  all  their  lives. 
Public  preaching  has  all  the  advantages  of  oratory; 
which  has  no  small  influence  on  the  mind  of  mankind. 
A  living  speaker  with  all  the  natural  art  and  address  and 
argumentation  has  a  powerful  influence  on  the   human 
mind;  doctrines  are  not  only  brought  forward  and  ex- 
plained,  but  enforced  upon  the  mind  by  motives  collected 
from  all  quarters;  the  passions  are  interested  ^s  well  as 
the  understanding  enlightened;  the  sinner  is  arrested  and 
persuaded  to  fiv  to  .Christ  for  salvation.  No  person  who 
has  ever  read  the  histories  of  Greece  and  Kon.e  can  be 
ignorant  of  the  powerful  eflects  of  public  spcakmg.   Our 
Saviour  could  hold  the  hands  of  public  officers  sent  to 
lay  hold  of  him,  and  cause  them  to  return  with  this  high 
commendation  as  their  only  reason  for  not  execuung 
their  ofiicc:  "Never  man  spake  like  this  man."  Petercould 
and  did  in  one  public  address  arrest  the  hearts  of  three 
thousand  at  (^nce.  Paul  could  cau.^e  Felix  to  tremble  and 
almost  persuade  Agrippa  to  be  a  christian;  and  there  are 


380 

many  instances  to  prove,  that  when  the  public  preaching 
of  the  gospel  is  attended  with  divine  Power,  so  to  speak, 
there  is  nothing  can  stand  before  it;  the  heart  of  the 
stoutest  sinner  has  to  bow  and  submit.  It  is  evident  from 
scripture  that  God  has  put  a  pecuHar  honour  on  the  pub- 
lic means  of  grace.  Preaching,  it  is  true,  seems  to  be  a 
very  simple  thing;  yet  it  pleases  God  by  the  foolishness 
of  preaching,  to  save  them  who  believe.  This  is  not  a 
mere  pretence;  for  the  world  finds  it  a  fact,  let  them  think 
of  it  as  they  may,  that  sinners  are  converted  to  God,  be- 
lievers strengthened  and  nourished,  the  church  of  Christ 
maintains  its  ground  and  prevails  against  all  opposition 
from  earth  and  hell,  principally  by  the  means  of  public 
preaching. 

3.  Prayer  is  another  mean  of  grace  on  which  we  are 
directed  to  attend.  This  is  a  precious  privilege,  and  a 
very  useful  one.  Prayer  is  calculated  to  stir  up  devotion,  a 
suitable  sense  of  dependence,  gratitude  for  past  favours, 
and  as  it  were  prepares  us  to  receive  favours,  and  to  make 
a  right  use  of  them  when  received.  Prayer  may,  and  of- 
ten does,  and  mostly  should,  attend  other  means;  when 
we  read  or  hear,  we  ought  also  to  wait  on  God  in  the 
use  of  those  means  with  hearts  desiring  his  blessing. 
Prayer  is  a  very  suitable  mean  in  the  exercises  of  the 
graces  of  the  Spirit.  Often  the  soul  believes  in  prayer,  ex- 
ercises faith  in  prayer,  exercises  love,  repentance,  hope, 
confidence;  and  I  might  say,  every  feeling  of  the  heart 
may  be  expressed  by  prayer.  Upon  the  whole  we  find 
that  God  has  directed  us  to  pray;  and  we  also  find  that 
when  he  intends  to  bestow  a  blessing,  he  gives  a  heart 
to  ask  for  it.  (Ezek.  36.  37.  Zecha.  12.  10.)  I  might 
mention  some  other  means  of  grace  included  in  these 
which  I  have^already  mentioned;  but  my  particular  de- 
sign at  present  is  not  so  much  to  point  out  the  means 
and  explain  their  nature,  as  to  direct  to  the  proper  use 


381 

of  them,  and  to  rectify  some  mistaken  notions  about 
them. 

We  should  always  remember  that  reading,  preaching 
and  prayer,  arc  not  the  conditions  of  the  covenant  of 
grace.  Many  a  man  lives  statedly  up  to  the  external 
forms  of  religion  both  in  private  and  public  without  an 
interest  in  Christ;  not  only  so,  but  were  he  to  do  so,  till 
he  would  be  as  old  as  Methusalch  it  would  be  the  same 
ease  still,  unless  he  would  do  more  than  just  use  the 
means.  "  Not  every  one  who  says  Lord,  Lord,  shall  en- 
*'  tcr  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  For  in  Jesus  Christ 
"  neither  circumcision  availeth  any  thing,  nor  uncircum- 
"  cision ;  but  faith  which  worketh  by  love.  For  he  is  not 
*'  a  Jew  who  is  one  outwardly;  neither  is  that  circumci- 
"  sion  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh.  But  he  is  a  Jew 
"  which  is  one  inwardly;  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the 
'*  heart,  in  the  spirit  and  not  in  the  letter." 

It  is  always  bad  divinity  to  direct  a  sinner  to  the  use 
of  means,  if  we  promise  them  salvation  on  that  condition. 
There  is  nothing  more  common  than  to  tell  sinners  to 
pray,  and  to  promise  them  salvation  if  they  do.  And  this 
text  is  always  quoted  as  a  warrant  for  it.  "  Ask  and  ye 
"  shall  receive,  seek  and  ye  shall  find,  knock  and  it  shall 
"  be  opened."  Wherever  there  is  a  promise  of  any  spi- 
ritual, or  saving  benefit,  faith  is  always  to  be  understood 
as  the  condition.  The  idea  of  asking,  seeking,  knocking 
as  the  condition  of  receiving,  finding  and  being  opened, 
must  certainly  be  to  ask  in  faith,  seek  in  faith,  and  to 
knock  in  faith.  The  idea  of  prayer  is  ccrtainl}  correct; 
but  it  must  be  a  prayer  of  faith,  or  the  blessing  can  never 
be  bestowed.  To  substitute  the  word  earnestly  in  the 
room  of  faith,  is  certainly  very  incorrect.  We  ought  to 
pray  in  earnest  indeed;  but  this  earnestness  must  also  be 
in  faith,  or  it  cannot  come  up  to  the  requisitions  of  the 
gospel.  It  is  cold  comfort  indeed,  to  a  distressed  soul  to 
tell  him  to  use  the  means,  and  wait  for  the  blessing.  He 


382 

knows  that  many  have  done  that,  and  have  gone  to  hell 
at  last;  he  knows  that  some  are  represented  as  rejected, 
who  even  plead  this  before  God :  "  We  have  eaten  and 
"  drunk  in  thy  presence;  and  thou  hast  taught  in  our 
"  streets.  Have  we  not  prophesied  in  thy  name,  and  cast 
"  out  devils,  and  done  many  wonderful  works?  Ye  ask  and 
"receive  not  because  ye  ask  amiss."  And  if  we  advise 
him  to  diligence  and  earnestness,  the  work  seems  hard, 
and  he  is  weak.  He  is  apt  to  think  of  the  case  of  Esau, 
of  the  young  scribe  who  wanted  to  inherit  eternal  life, 
and  of  Dives  in  hell.  "  Many  shall  seek  to  enter  in  and 
"  shall  not  be  able.  But  let  him  ask  in  faith  nothing 
"  wavering."  The  shortest  and  easiest  way  for  a  sinner 
to  take  is  to  believe,  to  come  just  as  he  is.  And  if  he  says 
he  cannot  believe,  you  need  not  tell  him  to  pray,  for  he 
will  receive  nothing  from  the  Lord,  unless  he  ask  in 
faith;  (James  1.  6,  7.)  and  it  is  always  as  easy  to  believe, 
as  to  pray  in  faith.  He  may  believe  in  the  time  of  reading, 
preaching,  praying,  talking,  thinking;  either  running,  walk- 
ing, or  even  standing,  sitting,  or  lying.  But  if  he  insists 
upon  it  that  he  cannot  believe,  the  scripture  says,  provid- 
ed he  tells  the  truth,  that  he  must  be  damned.  There  is  no 
help  for  an  unbeliever,  who  will  not  believe.  He  may 
pray,  he  may  read,  he  may  hear,  he  may  repent,  he  may 
weep,  he  may  do  what  he  pleases,  and  with  all  his  might, 
and  with  every  power  of  both  soul  and  body,  if  he  does 
not  believe  he  will  be  damned  at  last. 

But  it  may  be  objected  that  this  doctrine  entirely  de- 
stroys the  use  of  means.  I  answer  no;  does  mixing  a  little 
faith  with  the  means  destroy  their  use?  You  want  to  use 
means;  but  you  do  not  want  to  use  them  right.  And  be- 
cause I  want  a  sinner  to  pray  in  faith,  you  think  I  do  not 
wish  him  to  pray  at  all.  There  is  certainly  a  difference  be- 
twixt a  believer  waiting  in  the  use  of  God's  appointed 
means,  in  the  patient  exercise  of  faith  for  the  fulfilment  of 
all  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  and  the  sinner  who  has  no 


383 

interest  in  Christ,  and  has  no  promises  to  trust  to.  The 
believer  may  wait  with  confidence,  knowing  that  Christ 
will  in  due  time  give  him  every  necessary  blessing.  But 
the  sinner  can  not  wait  long  lest  he  dies ;  and  if  he  would 
die  before  he  would  get  faith,  he  would  be  damned.  It 
is  no  time  to  parley,  when  the  avenger  of  blood  is  pur- 
suing and  the  word  of  the  Lord  saying  "  Now  is  the  ac- 
*'  cepted  time.  Now  is  the  day  of  salvation."  A  moment's 
delay  in  such  a  case  may  be  eternally  fatal.  And  for  the 
sinner  to  content  himself  with  praying  and  waiting  on 
God  in  the  use  of  means,  and  yet  keeping  his  heart  back 
from  Christ,  is  poison  to  his  soul.  No:  let  him  take  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  by  violence;  for  it  suffers  violence; 
let  him  take  it  by  storm.  Let  him  give  up  his  heart  to 
Christ  in  spite  of  every  thing  that  would  oppose  him,  or 
persuade  him  to  the  contrary.  Then  he  may  ask  with 
Christ's  righteousness  on  him,  he  may  seek  and  knock, 
he  may  read  and  hear  and  sing  and  think  and  talk,  and 
he  shall  receive  and  find  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto 
him.  He  shall  have  access  to  God  every  day,  and  obtain 
every  necessary  grace  in  due  season.  But  God  forbid 
that  ever  I  should  advise  a  sinner,  who  is  every  moment 
in  danger  of  hell- fire,  to  wait  the  length  of  the  Lord's 
prayer  till  he  believes  in  Christ. 

All  that  is  necessary  for  a  sinner,  is  to  see  his  lost  state; 
and  the  only  way  of  salvation  through  Christ,  and  the 
means  of  grace  are  necessary  to  teach  him  these  impor- 
tant lessons.  The  heathens  will  not  be  condemned  for  the 
sin  of  unbelief,  because  they  have  no  means  of  grace  to 
teach  them  the  plan  of  salvation;  but  as  soon  as  a  sinner 
knows  enough  of  himself,  and  of  Christ,  as  to  render 
him  justly  liable  to  damnation  for  not  believing,  then  he 
is  certainly  inexcusable  if  he  does  not  believe  in  a  mo- 
ment. Let  such  a  one  know  assuredly  that  God  holds 
him  inexcusable  while  he  continues  an  unbeliever;  and 
let  him  wait  for  no  ceremonies,  but  come  at  the  call  of 


384 

the  gospel,  guilty,  and  unworthy  as  he  is,  and  cordially 
submit  to  Christ  for  salvation. 

Those  who  make  faith  to  consist  in  holiness,  love,  re- 
pentance, and  every  part  of  salvation,  and  must  have  the 
sinner  to  fix  up,  and  march  with  a  solemn  air,  a-la-mode, 
must  consequently  take  up  a  good  deal  of  time  to  pre- 
pare; and  of  course  it  is  no  wonder  they  have  to  detain 
them  so  long  in  the  use  of  means  before  they  have  them 
ready  to  go  to  Christ.  But  those,  on  the  other  hand,  who 
urge  sinners  to  come  as  they  are,  even  as  old  Adam  pre- 
pared them  by  his  fall,  they  find  sinners  all  fixed  to  their 
hand,  proper  subjects  of  the  call  of  the  gospel,  the  very 
kind,  which  Christ  came  to  save.  They  have  nothing  to 
do  but  to  tell  ihem  that  they  are  lost  sinners,  and  to  offer 
them  salvation  freely  through  Christ,  and  then  instantly 
to  urge  them  to  come  to  an  all-sufficient  Saviour. 

I  am  now  asked  whether  I  would  allow  sinners  to  ne- 
glect the  means  until  they  came  to  be  believers.  I  answer 
no:  but  let  them  learn,  from  the  means,  their  lost  state, 
and  the  chance  the  gospel  gives  them  for  salvation;  and 
let  them  not  live  a  da}',  nay,  not  an  hour,  without  believ- 
ing. I  would  wish  the  means  to  be  used,  truly,  but  let 
them  be  used  right;  and  any  person  of  common  under- 
standing must  know,  that  cannot  be  done  without  faith; 
"  for  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God." 

But  cannot  an  unbeliever  pray  to  God?  and  is  it  not  his 
duty  to  do  so?  I  answer,  certainly  he  can;  and  it  is  his  in- 
dispenbable  duty.  But  he  must  believe  on  Christ  or  he 
will  pray  wrong. 

But  it  is  still  urged,  what  can  the  sinner  do  when  he 
has  no  faith?  I  answer,  he  must  believe.  What,  you  say, 
believe  without  faith?  No:  but  he  must  get  faith  by  be- 
lieving. Faith  is  not  a  thing  that  you  must  have,  before 
you  can  use  it.  It  is  itself  an  act  of  the  will;  you  possess 
it  consenting,  or  by  making  choice  of  Christ-  in  the  offer 
of  the  gospel.  No  man  has  faith  until  he  actually  believes. 


385 

and  by  actually  believin^^  he  possesses  faith.  If  a  siiiner 
wants  faith,  you  tell  him  to  pray  for  it;  I  tell  him  to  be- 
lieve; and  by  the  time  he  has  performed  the  act  of  be- 
lievini^  he  will  have  faith;  but  without  really  believing, 
were  he  to  pray  a  thousand  }  ears,  he  would  n(jt  get  faith 
when  he  was  done;  for  faith  is  believing  and  nothing 
else.  The  last  question  is,  what  if  he  cannot  believe? 
I  answer,  if  this  is  true,  he  must  be  damned. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Whether  true  faith  can  consist  with  doubts  and  fears;  also 
the  various  circumstances  attending  believers  in  their 
exercises  of  faith  in  Christ. 

I  AM  inclined  to  think  that  the  nature  of  assurance  is  in 
every  degree  of  true  faith.  That  is  to  say,  every  person 
who  has  really  given  up  to  Christ,  has  some  degree  of 
trust,  which  gives  him  a  hope  of  his  salvation;  which 
the  whole  world  cannot  rob  him  of,  and  which  he  would 
not,  and  could  not  part  with,  on  any  terms  whatsoever. 
We  do  not  call  this  assurance,  because  properly  speak- 
ing, assurance  is  a  clear  prospect  of  salvation  resting  on 
such  an  unquestionable  foundation  as  leaves  the  mind 
clear  of  doubt  in  its  expecUUion  of  such  a  glorious  benefit. 
But  although  we  do  not  call  the  hope  which  the  despond- 
ing  believer  enjoys,  by  the  happy  name  of  assurance, 
yet  the  faith  is  the  same;  the  foundation  is  the  same;  and 
the  effect  in  the  belicAcr,  as  far  as  it  goes,  is  the  same. 
There  is  a  hope,  and  this  hope  is  a  good  one;  although 
it  may  be  small,  yet  it  is  founded  on  the  great  atonement 
of  the  cross,  and  consequently  never  can  possibly  fail. 
Although  the  believer  is  weak  in  the  exercise  of  his  faith, 
yet  Christ  remaineth  faithful  and  will  hold  him  fast. 
Whenever  the  sinnner  gives  Christ  his  consent  on  the 


386 

ffce  ofters  of"  the  gospel,  and  yields  to  him  as  the  autlior 
of  eternal  salvation,  the  \vhole  business  is  eternally 
fixed.  Christ  has  fixed  his  whole  plan,  and  knows  what 
to  do,  and  has  now  promised  to  fulfil  his  part  of  the  co- 
venant. The  sinner  has  fulfilled  his,  and  the  rest  depends 
on  Christ;  he  has  to  justify,  and  sanctify;  "  and  faithful 
"  is  he  that  has  promised  and  will  do  it.'^  (1  Thes.  5.  23, 
24.)  It  is  true  the  sinner  has  done  nothing,  and  no  won- 
der, for  according  to  the  covenant  of  grace  he  had  nothing 
to  do.  He  has  believed;  he  has  given  all  up  to  Christ; 
and  that  is  all  he  was  required  to  do,  and  it  is  well  for 
him,  for  he  could  do  nothing  else.  Thus  the  whole  busi- 
ness stands  betwixt  Christ  and  the  believer.  The  poor 
believer  through  his  weakness,  and  fear,  and  blindness 
and  unbelief,  may  try  a  thousand  plans  beside,  but  all 
prove  abortive.  Christ  holds  him  fast,  and  will  never 
let  him  go. 

.  I  must  further  observe,  that  a  sinner  under  a  sense  of 
sin,  viewing  himself  lost  and  undone,  requires  some  de- 
gree of  confidence  in  Christ,  before  he  can  trust  his  soul 
in  his  hands ;  this  confidence  he  obtains  by  suitable  views 
of  Christ  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel;  he  considers,  not 
only  what  is  offered,  but  also  who  he  is  who  offers;  and 
when  he  obtains  sufficient  arguments  to  induce  him  to 
venture  upon  Christ,  he  has  of  course  motives  sufficient 
to  induce  him  to  put  some  dependence  upon  him.  This 
dependence  will,  of  course,  beget  some  degree  of  confi- 
dence; which  will  produce  a  hope;  which  hope  is  of  the 
nature  of  assurance,  although  it  may  be  so  weak,  and  so 
beclouded  with  fears  and  suspicions,  through  the  weakness 
of  the  exercise  of  faith,  that  divines  do  not  call  it  assur- 
ance. But  let  faith  grow  strong,  and  it  will  expel  those 
fears;  and  consequently  comfort  will  grow  strong;  the 
believer  will  feel  his  interest  in  Christ,  and  attain  unto 
what  is  called  assurance. 


But  it  is  my  design  at  present,  not  so  fully  to  explain 
this  matter,  as  to  point  out  the  cireunistances  of  believers 
in  elosing  in  with  Christ,  under  many  diffieulties  which 
may  attend  them.  Here  I  beg  my  eandid  reader  to  in- 
dulge me,  as  he  has  often  to  do,  to  speak  freeh',  as  I  ge- 
nerally  do  in  the  pulpit,  on  this  subject,  and  not  confine 
me  too  much  to  the  minute  rules  of  criticism.  When  I 
am  treating  such  interesting  subjects  I  always  w ish  to  get 
into  the  sinner*s  heart,  and  feel  as  he  feels,  think  as  he 
thinks,  and  speak  as  he  speaks;  and  that  is  very  often  not 
very  correct  and  logical. 

It  is,  perhaps  generally  difficult  for  a  person  to  tell  the 
precise  time  when  he  first  believed  on  Christ.  I  do  not 
mean  that  it  is  so  difficult  to  tell,  or  recollect,  when  seri- 
Qus  impressions  were  first  made  on  the  mind,  nor  yet 
when  comforts  have  heen  obtained  with  clearness  and  sa- 
tisfaction, or  even  the  first  instance  of  relief  or  comfort. 
But,  notwidistanding  the  believer  can  sometimes  relate 
the  very  time  and  place  of  his  first  impressions,  and 
when  and  where  and  how  he  got  comfort,  and  can  relate 
many  instances  of  relapses,  and  returns  of  comfort  which 
he  has  experienced;  still  it  may  be  difficult  for  him  to  tell 
when  he  first  believed.  Even  although  he  may  be  able  to 
know  with  certainty  that  at  or  until  such  or  such  times 
he  did  not  believe,  and  at  such  or  such  times  after\vards 
he  was  a  believer,  yet  it  may  be  impossible  for  him  to 
say  at  what  precise  time  he  first  became  interested  in 
Christ.  It  is  true,  it  is  impossible  to  believe  without  be- 
ing sensible  of  the  act  of  believing;  but  often  the  be- 
liever does  not  know  that  what  he  feels  is  fi\ith.  He  knows 
how  he  feels;  but  he  may  not  know  that  what  he  feels  is 
what  the  gospel  states  as  the  condition  of  his  interest  in 
Christ.  Perhaps  all  the  world  could  not  convince  him  but 
that  he  cordially  consented  to  the  gospel;  and  at  the  same 
time  he  may  not  imagine  that  this  is  faith. 


388 

But  it  is  not  essential  to  our  having  an  interest  in 
Christ  that  we  be  able  to  tell  the  moment  of  our  believ- 
ing on  him.  Neither  is  it  essential,  that  we  be  able  to 
explain  what  faith  is;  yet  it  would  be  very  desirable  for  us 
to  be  so  well  acquainted  widi  the  nature  of  the  gospel, 
and  of  the  exercises  of  our  own  hearts  as  to  be  conscious 
of  our  believing,  when  the  motives  of  t)ie  gospel  gain 
our  consent  to  Christ.  Until  this  is  the  case,  although  we 
may  indeed  have  an  interest  safe,  yet  we  need  not  expect 
much  comfort.  Our  confidence  in  Christ,  or  in  the  pro- 
mises never  can  be  strong  enough  to  expel  our  fears, 
until  we  are  conscious  of  our  surrender  to  the  gospel,  and 
have  sense  enough  to  know  that  this  is  performing  the 
condition  of  the  gospel  covenant.  I  will  now  point  out 
a  few  particular  cases  in  which  believers  may  be,  and 
frequently  have  been,  even  in  the  act  of  believing  in 
Christ. 

1.  The  weak  believer  has  been  often  compared  to  queen 
Esther  approaching  the  king's  presence,  when  she  knew 
not  how  it  would  fare  with  her.  More  frequently  still  he 
has  been  represented  as  venturing  to  Christ,  like  the  four 
lepers  who  sat  in  the  gate  of  Samaria  in  the  time  of  fa- 
mine occasioned  by  the  Syrians  besieging  the  city.  Those 
lepers  were  conscious  that  they  would  die  unless  they 
would  go  to  the  camp  of  the  Syrians.  If  they  did  so, 
there  was  a  perhaps  they  would  live,  otherwise  they  must 
die.  Although  I  do  not  like  to  direct  sinners  thus  to  come 
to  Christ,  or  rather  I  would  say,  I  would  wish  sinners 
would  have  better  views  of  Christ  and  the  gospel,  when 
they  come  to  him  for  salvation,  yet  I  believe  that  many 
poor  desponding  souls  do  actually  come  to  Christ,  on 
this  very  footing,  and  obtain  complete  salvati{^n  by  it. 
But  such  believers  are  very  dark  and  uncomfortable,  and 
must  remain  so  until  they  come  again,  or  exercise  faith 
on  him  from  better  views  of  the  gospel.  Those  who  are 
sensible  of  their  own  emptiness,  and  have  only  a  clear 


3S9 

view  ol"  the  all-sufHcicncy  of  Christ,  unci  but  a  glimmcr- 
iHg  view  of  his  willini^ncss,  yet  so  nuieh  as  persuades 
them  to  venture,  always  eome  on  a  pcr/wps,  like  cjueen 
Esther  and  the  lepers.  And  those  who  eonie  on  a  mere 
per/laps,  never  can  go  furliier  than  if  in  their  hopes  of 
salvation;  Christ  will  he  laithful  to  tiieni,  it  is  true,  but 
they  never  can  trust  him  more,  than  the  motives  will 
enable  them  to  do,  which  induced  them  to  come  to  him; 
and  while  ever  that  is  a  bare  possibility,  that  same  possi- 
bility will  be  the  only  ground  of  their  hope,  which  nmst 
be  always  weak,  and  much  pestered  w  ith  doubts  and 
fears.  I  would  be  far  from  discouraging  sucli  weak  be- 
lievers; but  for  their  comfort  and  direction,  I  would 
counsel  them  to  endeavour  to  consider  that  Christ  is  as 
willing  to  save  as  he  is  able;  and  that  his  acceptance  of 
a  sinner,  who  will  come  unto  him,  does  not  depend 
on  a  mere  capricious  notion  w  hich  may  happen  to  take 
place  in  his  divine  mind,  on  seeing  a  sinner  coming. 
Such  notions  of  Christ  are  too  unworthy  of  such  a  glo- 
rious Saviour;  yet  such  believers  indulge  them  too  much, 
even  contrary  to  their  own  better  judgment. 

Christ  has  actually  ofibred  salvation  freely;  and  he  has 
told  us  what  he  will  do,  if  the  sinner  will  come:  "  1  will 
"'  in  no  wise  cast  out."  What  an  infmite  difttrencc  is 
there  betwixt  the  situation  of  the  weakest  believer  com- 
ing to  Christ,  and  the  chance  of  queen  Esther  going  to 
the  king  who  never  had  made  one  ofilr  uiUo  her,  and  had 
no  word  or  truth  to  forfeit  even  had  he  ordered  her  to 
be  slain;  or  the  chance  of  the  lepers,  when  the  Syrians 
never  had  held  out  the  provisions  of  their  camps  by  anv 
proposals  of  mercy  to  any. 

The  queen,  no  doubt,  although  her  whole  dependence 
was  built  on  the  grace  and  favour  of  king  Ahasuerus, 
yet  put  on  every  possible  appearance  \\hich  would  be 
calculated  to  gain  his  favour.  So  no  doubt  the  lepers  had 
their  pitiable  tale  made  up,  ready  to  be  deli\ered  in  the 


390 

most  moving  manner  to  gain  that  favour  on  which  their 
life  depended;  so  those  beUevers  influenced  by  the  same 
motives  are  apt  to  be  very  anxious  about  doing  every 
thing  right,  and  are  much  afraid  that  everything  they  do 
is  wrong;  they  try  to  believe  right,  to  pra}^  right,  to  weep 
right,  to  repent  right,  and  in  short  to  do  every  thing  right; 
and  yet  they  think  they  do  nothing  right.  So  their  whole 
hope,  joy  and  comfort  is,  j/J  may  he^  perhaps^  and  I  wish. 
Yet  Christ  will  carrj-  them  through;  and  when  they  get 
better  views  of  him  they  will  trust  more  to  him,  and  less 
to  themselves;  and  until  then,  they  must  build  their  wood, 
hay  and  stubble,  and  wade  through  their  difficulties  as 
well  as  they  can. 

2.  Some  believers  have  so  much  sense  that  they  know 
every  thing  by  doctrinal  knowledge.  They  are  generally 
sound  in  their  sentiments  and  often  much  attached  to  the 
rules  of  religion;  but  alas  they  are  apt  to  employ  all  their 
D'ood  sense  as:ainst  themselves,  and  what  is  still  worse 
against  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel.  They  commonly 
have  a  keen  sense  of  their  lost,  ruined  and  helpless  state. 
They  generally  perform  their  duties  well  as  to  the  matter 
of  them,  and  try  to  do  every  thing  in  joint.  They  have 
too  much  sense  to  depend  on  uncertainties  in  a  matter 
of  such  infinite  importance  as  their  souls'  salvation;  and 
vet  they  have  not  become  fools,  that  they  might  be 
wise. 

They  never  feel  a  disposition  to  scruple  the  all-suffi- 
ciency of  Christ;  but  they  are  always  suspicious  of 
themselves.  They  are  sure  that  the  willingness  of  Christ 
depends  on  their  willingness  and  do  not  consider  the 
difference  betwixt  a  condition  of  performance  and  a 
willingness  to  perform.  The  offers  of  the  gospel  always 
demonstrate  the  willingness  of  Christ  to  do  what  he 
proposes ;  but  the  consent  of  the  sinner  is  the  condition 
on  which  he  will  perform.  This  consent  is  not  the  con- 
dition of  Christ's  willingness,  for  he  Avas  as  willing  be- 


391 

fore  as  after  the  sinner  consented;  but  the  consent  is 
the  condition  of  the  actual  hestowment  of  the  blessings 
overturcd  in  the  gospel.  Here  is  the  place  where  weak 
believers,  who  are  sensible  persons,  always  show  them- 
selves fools.  Ask  them  Avhether  Christ  is  able  to  save 
them  ;  they  answer  quickly,  yes.  Ask  again  ;  "  is  he 
willing?"  They  answer,  "yes,  if  I  am  willing."  Just  as 
if  Christ's  willingness  depended  on  their  willingness. 
'Inhere  is  no  knowing  what  mischief  this  sentiment  does. 
It  keeps  many  sensible  active  men  back;  overwhelmed 
in  fears  and  despondence,  while  many  an  African  sla^'e 
lives  on  the  top  of  mount  Pisgah,  who  perhaps  has 
never  learned  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

Such  sensible  believers  are  like  rickety  children,  no- 
thing grows  but  their  heads,  which  become  an  overbal- 
ance for  the  other  parts  of  the  body.  ^Vhat  a  pity  it  is 
that  good  sense,  which  might  be  and  always  is  an  orna- 
ment and  a  great  advantage  to  a  christian,  when  rightly 
used,  should  be  rendered  almost  worse  than  nothing, 
through  misapplication,  and  in  consequence  of  its  being 
employed  in  the  service  of  Satan  and  pride  and  against 
the  simplicity  of  the  gospel.  It  is  nevertheless  true,  that 
with  all  their  objections  against  themselves,  and  against 
the  gospel,  through  their  mistaken  views  and  notions, 
yet  they  have  a  saving  interest  in  Christ  from  the  first 
moment  they  gave  up  to  the  offers  of  Christ  in  the  gospel. 
But  they  never  will  be  comfortable  christians  until  they 
come  to  know  nothing  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  cru- 
cified. 

3.  Some  persons  under  deep  distress  imagine  that 
Christ  is  neither  able  nor  willing  to  save  them;  and  it  is 
not  as  easy  to  answer  their  objections  to  their  satisfaction, 
as  one  would  imagine.  Such  persons  are  not  generally 
logical  reasoners;  and  the}-  cannot  feel  the  force  of  an 
argument.  They  are  too  much  in  earnest  to  take  your 
word  for  such  an  important  niatteras  their  salvation;  and 


392 

their  sense  of  sin  is  an  overbalance  lor  all  they  cva\  see 
in  the  gospel.  The}'  think  they  are  the  worst  sinners 
in  the  world;  they  conclude  their  sins  are  too  many 
and  too  great  to  be  forgiven.  But  the  truth  is,  such  per- 
sons have  not  a  proper  view  of  pardon,  and  very  slight 
views  indeed  of  Christ's  atonement.  They  somehow 
imagine  that  God  forgives  sin  by  an  arbitrary  or  capri- 
cious notion  whenever  he  pleases  to  do  so,  by  simply 
absolving  a  guilty  person  from  deserved  punishment  ac- 
cording to  his  own  pleasure;  but  they  have  but  little 
hopes  of  obtaining  such  a  special  favour.  They  think  they 
have  offended  him  so  highly,  they  despair  of  ever  finding 
him  so  well  pleased  with  them,  as  to  grant  them  such  a 
blessing;  they  feel  their  arguments  too  weak  to  move 
him,  and  are  ready  to  conclude  that,  without  a  mere  ac- 
cident, they  will  have  to  suffer  punishment;  and  what  is 
still  worse,  they  think  that  although  Christ  is  the  Saviour, 
yet  they  have  so  sinned  that  he  is  highly  offended  at 
them,  and  that  it  is  as  hard  to  be  reconciled  to  him  as  to 
his  Father  without  him.  They  have  consequently  little 
hope  that  he  will  accept  of  them  if  they  do  come  to  him. 
Such  persons  have  no  ideas  of  Christ's  atonement  as  the 
procuring  cause  of  pardon.  They  do  not  consider  the  -va- 
lidity of  the  death  of  Christ.  The  cross  of  Christ  to 
them  is  a  mere  name  without  any  meaning,  the  death  of 
Christ,  the  blood  of  Christ,  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  Sec. 
are  all  synonymous,  unmeaning  phrases.  They  do  not 
consider  that  a  person  of  such  iniinite  dignity  as  Jesus, 
died  in  our  room,  and  by  so  doing  answered  the  de- 
mands of  justice,  and  purchased  pardon  and  every  grace 
for  those  who  will  come  and  receive  it;  and  that  pardon 
depends  on  the  perfect  righteousness  of  Christ,  counted 
over  to  the  sinner's  behalf,  which  righteousness  is  not 
only  sufficient,  but  also  freely  offered  in  the  gospel  to 
the  vilest  sinner.  Such  persons  are  in  a  bad  situation. 
Thev  have  low  groveling  ideas  of  God,  of  Christ,  and  the 


393 

gospel.  I  advise  them  to  read  2  Cor.  5.  25:  "  For  he 
^  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  lor  us,"  &c.  and  John  6.  37: 
''  Him  that  cometh  unto  nie  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
But  all  is  not  lost  that  is  given  over.  Such  persons  have 
a  sense  of  their  lost  state;  they  have  to  learn  the  uay  of 
salvation  through  a  crucified  Saviour;  then  they  will  come, 
and  submit  to  the  gospel,  and  find  that  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ  can,  and  will,  cleanse  from  all  iniquity. 

4.  Some  believers  depend  too  much  on  wiiat  they  call 
feelings  and  frames.  Such  persons  are  mostly  either  very 
happy  or  miserable;  they  arc  either  foremost  or  hindmost; 
they  are  either  soaring  in  a  fine  gale,  or  w  ading  in  muddy 
water.  It  is  very  common  for  such  to  be  very  happy  one 
day,  and  spend  the  next  in  running  down  all  the  views 
and  feelings  they  had  the  day  before.  Such  persons  love 
to  run  themselves  down;  their  hearts  are  bad;  they  call 
themselves  hypocrites;  they  say  they  neither  love,  nor 
fear,  nor  feel,  half  enough;  they  love  to  hear  sermons 
and  read  good  books,  but  they  never  hear  good,  they 
think,  except  they  be  in  a  lively  frame.  They  love  to 
talk  about  religion,  but  they  mostly  entertain  you  with 
their  complaints,  or  keep  you  answering  objections.  If 
you  turn  their  views  to  Christ,  they  cannot  come  to  him. 
If  you  direct  them  to  believe,  they  answer  they  cannot; 
and  they  become  such  staunch  predestinarians  that  they 
think  it  useless  to  try  till  God  gives  them  faith.  If  you 
urge  them  to  trust  in  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  they 
have  no  right  to  them,  and  if  they  had,  they  have  not 
fiiith  in  lively  exercise  enough  to  do  it.  If  you  tell  them 
to  wait  on  God,  they  have  not  patience  enough  to  wait  so 
long;  and  the  hardship  is,  they  are  afraid  the}-  will  be  disap- 
pointed at  last."  Thus  every  thing  is  wrong  until  they  get 
into  the  next  lively  frame. 

The  peculiar  fault  C)f  these  persons  is,  they  trust  more 
to  grace  than  the  Giver,  more  to  the  earnest  than  the 

3  D 


594 

promise.  When  this  fault  is  corrected  they  will  live  hap- 
pier; but  if  they  do  not  learn  to  trust  more  to  Christ  than 
they  do,  they  will  indeed  be  happy  when  they  get  to 
heaven,  but  they  will  have  an  uncomfortable  road  to  get 
there. 


CHAPTER  XYV. 

The  various  cases  of  hellevers  farther  considered. 

In  the  fifth  place,  there  are  some  believers  who  arc 
always  rejoicing,  and  very  often  transported  with  ecsta- 
sies, excepting  some  chance  times  when  they  seem  to 
have  lost  all ;  and  then  they  are  miserable  indeed.  These 
are  generally  very  happy  christians,  especially  in  livel\' 
times  in  the  church.  But  the  unhappiness  is,  their  fervour 
and  zeal,  too  often  led  by  feelings  and  not  by  judgment, 
do  little  honour  to  the  gospel,  except  among  those  who, 
having  felt  the  power  of  the  gospel,  have  judgment  and 
charity  enough  to  make  allowances  for  the  fervour  of  a 
person,  who  has  more  sail  than  ballast.  But  the  men  of 
the  world  who  have  never  felt  the  sweet  enjoyments  of 
religion,  and  know  nothing  about  an  interest  in  Christ, 
are  apt  to  find  fault,  and  go  away  and  say,  the  whole  is 
enthusiasm. 

These  aspersions  are  something  difficult  to  guard 
against.  Even  men  of  the  best  judgment,  in  a  high  frame, 
often  miss  the  mark.  And  Iconfess  it  is  not  best  to  pay 
too  much  respect  to  the  men  of  the  world ;  but  I  advise 
all  such  persons  to  notice  what  the  apostle  Peter  says  on 
this  subject.  1  Peter  3.  15.  "Be  ready  always  to  give 
"  an  answer  to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a  reason  of  the 
"  hope  that  is  in  you,  with  meekness  and  fear." 

There  arc  some  of  this  class  of  christians  sensible 
and  judicious,  who  can  regulate  their  highest  frames  with 


prudence,  and  will  not  indulge  thcmsilvcs  in  liic  j^rati- 
fication  of  every  feeling-.  They  possess  a  firmness  in  the 
gospel;  and  the  bible  is  the  solid  ground  of  ail  their 
hopes.  They  are  strong  in  faith,  and  of  high  sensibility, 
and  have  good  reason  lor  every  feeling  they  have;  and  al- 
most e\ery  ^  iew  of  Christ  in  the  plan  of  the  gosjX'l 
makes  them  feel.  These  are  very  happy  christians;  they 
are  an  ornament  to  the  church  and  an  honour  to  religion. 
But  all  such  persons  ought  to  beware  lest  they  meet 
with  a  thorn,  to  keep  them  humble.  It  seems  strange 
that  high  frames  in  religion  should  make  a  good  man 
proud.  One  would  imagine  they  would  have  a  contrary 
effect.  But  so  it  is,  through  our  weakness,  that  we  are 
apt  to  be  intoxicated  with  the  delightful  exercises  of  re- 
ligion, and  forget  the  Giver  of  our  blessings,  Mhen  wc 
live  in  the  midst  of  plenty. 

There  are  others  of  this  class  A\ho  arc  never  well  but 
when  they  enjoy  high  degrees  of  feelings.  These  persons 
are  generally  not  very  steady;  they  are  apt  to  be  floating 
in  their  minds  and  something  whimsical.  You  cannot  lay 
much  stress  on  their  judgment;  and  you  have  frequently 
to  check  them  for  their  imprudences;  they  will  often 
occasion  fifty  prudent  sensil^le  men  to  sit  silent  to  listen 
to  noise  and  nonsense;  for  they  can't'  bear  to  feel  happy 
without  letting  every  body  know  it.  They  are  generally 
full  of  zeal,  and  wishing,  and  trying  to  do  all  the  good 
they  can;  and  very  often  do  more  harm  than  good  at 
last.  When  they  happen  to  be  cold  and  lifeless  in  religion 
they  are  not  good  for  much.  You  can  hear  nothing  but 
complaints;  and  if  their  time  of  desertion  lasts  long,  they 
become  fretful  and  restless.  It  is  not  best  to  live  too 
much  on  good  frames;  those  who  do  so  are  apt  to  be 
puny,  l^he  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  received  by  faith, 
is  the  safest  diet  for  a  christian.  Those  who  cannot  be 
.satisfied  without  high  affections,  and  towerinp-  views  or 


596 

feelings,  are  like  cachectical  children;  their  bowels  grow 
faster  than  their  heads. 

6.  Some  believers  are  much  addicted  to  dreams,  visions^ 
or  sights,  which  the}'  have  seen  with  their  bodily  eyes,  to 
texts  coming  suddenly  into  their  mind,  and  to  sudden 
feelings  and  impressions  on  their  mind.  The  experience 
of  those  christians  is  generally  odd  and  singular.  Their 
imagination  is  strong  and  very  productive;  and  they  are 
apt  to  trust  more  to  their  own  whimsical  notions,  than  to 
the  word  of  God.  The  devil  can  lead  them  captive  at 
his  will.  He  can  give  them  a  dream,  a  sight,  or  vision, 
a  text,  and  impressions;  and  they  are  ready  to  run  at 
every  call.  Such  persons  ought  to  take  care  that  they  do 
like  the  Bereans,  who  searched  the  scriptures  to  see  if 
these  things  were  so;  and  not  suffer  themselves  to  be  de- 
luded by  vain  imaginations,  or  the  suggestions  of  Satan. 

In  the  last  place  I  will  briefly  describe  the  believer 
whose  happy  state  and  circumstances  I  would  covet 
above  all  others.  He  is  sensible,  judicious  and  prudent. 
He  understands  the  gospel,  and  gives  his  hearty  consent, 
to  it.  He  trusts  entirely  to  Christ  for  his  whole  salvation, 
and  lives  in  the  uniform  expectation  of  enjoying  every 
thing  which  is  promised  to  him  in  the  gospel.  He  is  not 
flighty  but  steady,  not  flashy  but  uniform,  not  dull  but 
cheerful,  not  passionate  but  firm,  not  ecstatic  but  feel- 
ing* He  occupies  the  middle  regions,  never  much  elevated 
nor  depressed.  He  possesses  a  steady  and  solid  peace  of 
mind.  When  he  enjoys  a  lively  time,  he  is  happy  in  it, 
and  enjoys  himself,  and  conducts  himself  with  judgment 
and  prudence;  and  when  he  is  left  in  a  state  of  desertion 
to  languor  and  coldness,  he  waits  with  patience  and  re- 
signation, until  the  Lord  returns  again,  and  still  holds  fast 
the  gospel,  and  maintains  his  trust  and  confidence  in 
God  in  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances.  He  meets 
afid  rebuts  every  accusation  and  temptation  by  the  word 


397 

of  God,  and  the  invincible  weapon  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 
He  waits  with  patience  and  confidence  for  every  neces- 
sary grace  of  the  gospel,  and  never  considers  himself 
praying  in  vain  for  pardon,  sanctification,  eternnl  glory, 
or  any  blessing  which  Christ  has  promised  to  give.  He 
docs  not  indulge  fears  anddouljts  about  his  case;  he  feels 
conscious  that  he  has  given  his  whole  heart  to  Christ, 
and  intrusted  his  whole  salvation  with  him  on  the  gCi- 
nuine  oftcrs  of  the  gospel;  he  consec][uently  relies  on  the 
truth,  and  unchangeable  faithfulness  of  Christ;  and  is 
persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  what  he  has  committed 
to  him  against  that  day. 

Such  a  christian  is  not  only  an  ornament  but  a  pillar 
of  the  church  of  Christ.  He  v\ ill  he  a  leader,  guide  -;id 
an  example  to  all  around  him.  In  the  most  interesting 
matters  of  religion  and  the  most  serious  concerns  of 
the  soul,  he  is  inquired  at,  and  is  ready  to  give  aid.  In 
short,  he  lives  comfortable  here,  will  die  happy,  and  he 
will  find  at  last  that  his  confidence  was  not  in  vain  in  the 
Lord. 

But  my  reader  asks,  "  where  shall  we  find  such  a 
christian?"  But  let  us  not  think  that  I  have  painted  too 
high.  The  character  looks  beautiful  I  know,  but  not 
more  so  than  thousands  of  God's  children  have  realized. 
The  gospel  is  calculated  to  make  us  all  so;  and  it  only 
requires  a  suitable  exercise  of  faith,  with  a  competent 
knowledge  of  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  bible  to  make 
us  ornaments  to  the  church  of  Christ. 

I  will  conclude  this  part  of  my  treatise  by  a  few  per- 
tinent inferences  as  a  summary  of  the  doctrine  of  faith. 

1.  He,  who  feels  his  lost  state,  no  matter  how  much  or 
how  little,  and  discovers  free  and  full  salvation  offered  to 
him  in  the  gospel,  and  heartily  consents  to  be  saved  on 
that  plan,  is  a  believer. 

2.  He,  who  has  his  whole  trust,  be  that  strong  or  weak, 
fixed  on  the  death  of  Christ  for  salvation,  in  consequence 


398 

of  a  hearty  surrender  to  the  proposals  of  the  gospel,  is 
a  believer. 

3.  He,  who  wishes  for  salvation,  not  any  how,  no  mat- 
ter how,  but  because  Christ  has  purchased  it  and  freely 
offers  it,  and  because  God  can  give  it  in  a  perfect  con- 
sistency with  his  glory  as  the  purchase  of  the  cross,  is  a 
believer. 

4.  He  who  Avishes  in  his  heart  to  honour  the  Son  of 
God  with  the  complete  salvation  of  his  soul,  and  to  be 
saved  no  other  way,  is  a  believer. 

5.  He,  who  prays  to  God  for  pardon  and  sanctification 
for  Christ's  sake,  and  really  does  consent  to  receive  those 
blessings  for  which  he  prays,  through  the  channel,  through 
which  he  prays,  is  a  believer. 

6.  He  who  gives  Christ  a  hearty  welcome  into  his  heart 
by  consenting  for  him  to  take  the  whole  management  of 
it,  is  a  believer. 

7.  He,  who  gives  his  heart  to  Christ  by  consenting  for 
him  to  take  it,  to  do  with  it  as  he  proposes  in  his  word, 
is  a  believer. 

8.  He,  who  hopes  to  be  saved  in  consequence  of  his 
trust  being  in  Christ  only,  and  that  trust  in  consequence 
of  Christ's  truth  and  faithfulness  in  the  overtures  of  the 
gospel,  to  which  overtures  he  has  consented,  is  a  comfor- 
table believer. 

9.  He,  who  wishes  Christ  to  save  him  according  to  his 
own  plan,  expressed  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel,  heartily 
begs  and  prays  him  to  do  so,  but  is  afraid  he  will  not,  is 
an  uncomfortable  believer. 

N.  B.  If  this  man  would  take  it  for  granted  that  his 
earnest  desire  is  really  consenting  to  Christ,  which  is 
coming  to  him,  which  is  believing  on  him,  and  then 
confide  in  him  as  a  God  of  unchangeable  faithful- 
ness, he  would  become  a  comfortable  believer  immedi- 
ately. 


399 

lU.  llf,  w  ho  loves  holiness  and  lon^s  to  be  holy,  has 
l)elieved. 

11.  He,  who  hates  sin  and  earnestly  wishes  to  be  de- 
livered from  it,  has  iielieved. 

12.  Me,  wiio  repents,  loathes  and  abhors  his  sin,  or  him- 
elf  for  sin,  has  believed. 

13.  He,  who  feels  his  imperfections,  and  heartily  mourns 
over  them,  and  applies  to  Christ  for  pardon  and  cleansing, 
has  believed. 

14.  He,  who  attends  the  means  of  grace  generally  for 
any  or  all  of  the  following  purposes,  viz.  to  know  more 
of  God,  to  see  more  of  him,  to  enjoy  communion  with 
him,  to  glorify  him,  to  know  more  of  himself,  to  get  sin 
more  mortified,  to  get  more  conformity  to  God,  from  a 
hungering  and  thirsting  after  holiness,  has  believed. 

15.  He,  who  applies  immediately  to  the  atoning  blood 
of  Christ,  the  first  thing  he  does  after  he  is  sensible  that 
through  his  weakness  and  imperfection  he  has  committed 
sin,  gives  one  of  the  best  evidences  he  can  give  that  he 
is  a  comfortable  believer,  provided  he  does  it  w  ith  suita- 
ble confidence. 

16.  He,  who  must  stay  away  from  Christ  awhile  repent- 
ing, before  he  can  hope  to  find  acceptance,  yet  is  sorry  in 
his  heart  for  the  sin  he  has  committed,  and  hates  it  and 
liates  himself  ibr  it,  and  in  a  few  days  or  weeks,  ven- 
tures to  come  to  Christ  for  pardon  and  sanctifieation,  is 
an  uncomfortable  believer ;  and  has  committed  a  worse 
sin  in  repenting  with  the  views  he  had,  before  he  came  to 
Christ,  than  the  sin  he  was  repenting  of.  Unbelief  is  the 
v\orst  sin  in  the  world. 

Finally.  Any  person,  who  has  the  whole  of  the  above 
evidences  or  the  one  half  or  the  one  fourth  or  even  u 
single  one,  and  even  any  one  of  the  sixteen,  will  as- 
suredly go  to  heaven:  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
''  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 


400 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Improvement. 

What  an  infinite  depth  of  wisdom  and  goodness  is 
manifested  in  the  gospel  plan!  Christ  has  not  died  in  vain. 
He  has  not  risen  in  vain.  He  has  not  ascended  in  vain  to 
his  Father's  right  hand.  He  who  died  on  mount  Calvary 
is  the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory,  the  delight  and 
wonder  of  angels,  the  grand  foundation  of  the  church, 
and  the  all-sufficient  Saviour  of  sinners.  The  world  has 
seen  him  dressed  in  human  nature,  assuming  the  wonder- 
ful name  and  character  of  Immanuel,  God  with  us.  He 
took  a  miraculous  descent  from  the  regions  of  glory,  and 
was  born  in  Bethlehem.  At  a  proper  age,  and  by  divine 
authority  he  was  set  apart  to  the  awfully  glorious  work  of 
redemption  by  the  baptism  of  John.  He  attested  his  divine 
authority  by  the  doctrines  he  taught,  and  by  the  miracles  he 
performed.  Having  given  full  proof  of  his  mission,  we  have 
seen  him  go  up  to  Jerusalem  with  a  stedfast  design  to 
accomplish  what  he  had  covenanted  with  his  Father  to 
do.  Justice  demanded  death  as  the  penalty  of  the  divine 
law;  and  death  was  the  condition  on  which  sinners  could 
be  redeemed.  How  awfully  glorious  and  dreadfully  mer- 
ciful did  he  appear  when  he  took  the  sinner's  place.  All 
nature  felt  the  shock,  from  the  high  orbit  of  light  in  the 
meridian  of  heaven,  to  the  low  caverns  of  the  earth.  Even 
the  solid  rocks  feh  and  to  this  day  exhibit  the  evident 
symptoms  of  the  agonizing  groans  of  our  crucified  Re* 
deemer.* 

*  How  astonishing  it  is  to  find  the  rocks  rent  in  all  places  over  the 
fiace  of  the  whole  earth,  even  the  greatest  as  well  as  the  smallest.  W? 


401 

We  have  seen  him  kd  UjiIic  judgment  and  to  the  place 
of  execmion  surrounded  \\  iih  obloquy  and  scorn;  and 
even  while  he  was  expiring  in  agony  and  death,  his 
bloody  persecutors  could  wag  their  heads  and  deride  him 
in  the  midst  of  his  suflllrings.  Did  this  most  inhuman 
treatment  rouse  the  almighty  vengeance  of  the  Friend  of 
sinners?  No:  so  far  from  it,  that  it  moved  his  pity;  and 
instead  of  blasting  them  \\  ith  his  anger,  he  pra}s  for  them: 
*'  Feather  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.'' 
But  all  that  men  could  do  scarcely  deserves  a  thought, 
but  only  to  let  us  feel  what  wretched  sinners  we  are. 
When  he  complains,  it  was  when  he  came  to  the  turning 
point  of  our  salvation,  when  justice  called  for  the  sinner's 
blood,  when  the  Father  withdrew  from  him,  in  his  jusl 
infliction  of  the  awful  penalty  of  the  law;  then  he  cried 
out  in  significant  accents  of  bitter  anguish  and  pain,  "  My 
"  God!  my  God!  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me!"  He  gave  up 
the  ghost.  The  work  was  done.  The  price  was  paid;  and 
the  covenant  confirmed  for  ever. 

We  see  that  in  consequence  of  this  wonderful  ransom. 
Christ,  who  conquered  death  and  hell,  has  ordered  his 
g(jspel  to  be  proclaimed  to  d}  ing  sinners;  that  he  enters 
into  covenant  with  those  who  believe  in  his  name,  and 
engages  to  them  by  promise  the  blessings  of  salvation. 
The  fulness  that  is  in  him,  the  freeness  of  his  overtures, 
and  the  faithfulness  in  which  he  engages  in  covenant  with 
his  people,  are  truly  enough  to  charm  our  very  souls,  and 
make  us  feel  him  our  everlasting  friend,  and  place  our 
utmost  confidence  in  him. 

But  \\hen  we  consider  the  condition  on  w hich  he  of 

could  perhaps  account  for  sonic  instances  of  the  fra(  Ui;c?>  ol  i<n  k^, 
hut  I  t'.unilily  think  the  wisest  philosopher  woukl  sliow  liis  wisdom, 
in  not  prelcndinji^  to  shov.-  cause  for  this  universal  circumstance  of  the 
rocks  bein^  generally  rent  over  the  face  of  the  whole  caith;  but  ac- 
knowledge it  as  a  consequence  and  an  evidence  of  the  death  of  Christ; 

.S  I'. 


402 

i'ers  us  the  ver}'  lii'e  of  our  souls,  purchased  by  his  own 
blood,  we  are  overwhehned  with  a  sense  of  his  divine 
goodness.  He  asks  us  to  consent  and  receive  salvation. 
Could  more  merciful  or  more  easy  terms  be  offered  to  a 
sinner?  Can  wc  comj)lain  of  the  difficulties  of  the  gos- 
pel, when  it  brings  salvation  to  our  door,  lays  it  at  our 
feet,  and  urges  us  to  receive  it  gratuitously. 

How  many  thousands  of  sinners  are  now  in  glory,  in 
consequence  of  the  merits  of  the  death  of  Christ,  and  of 
the  faithfulness  of  Christ  to  his  people.  He  never  loses 
one  who  believes  on  him.  He  will  make  the  weakest  be- 
liever triumph  over  doath  and  hell.  He  asks  nothing  as  a 
conditionary  reward  for  what  he  has  done  or  for  what  he 
promises  to  do.  He  calls  sinners  and  invites  ihem  to  come 
just  as  they  are;  and  every  one  that  comes  he  saves  from 
eternal  ruin. 

But,  alas,  we  have  a  strange  propensity  to  lessen  the 
merits  and  glory  of  Christ  by  introducing  hard  and  diffi- 
cult terms  by  which  the  gospel  is  adulterated,  and  our 
minds  beclouded  and  our  comforts  destroyed.  We  must 
introduce  our  scholastic  definitions,  by  which  we,  like 
the  proud  hearted  pharisees,  teach  for  doctrines  the  com- 
mandments of  men.  Thus  we  enjoin  things  as  coriditions 
of  the  gospel,  \\'hich  the  Lord  never  commanded,  neither 
came  they  into  his  heart. 

To  see  a  persecuting  Saul  travelling  to  Damascus  and 
becoming  an  eminent  christian,  to  see  a  trembling  jailer 
arrive  to  the  comforts  of  the  gospel  in  a  few  hours  and 
by  a  few  words,  to  see  Peter  converting  three  thousand 
murderers  with  one  short  discourse,  is  enough  to  make 
us  conclude  that  the  way  of  salvation  is  simple,  plain,  and 
powerful.  To  hear  our  Saviour  proposing  his  terms,  and 
his  apostles  proclaiming  them  to  the  world,  and  to  see 
thousands  and  thousands  of  stiffnecked  Jews  and  heathen- 
ish idolators  enjoying  all  the  sweets  of  religion,  just  by 


403 

coming  at  the  call  olthc  gospel  is  astonishing,  and  cnoiigii 
to  make  us  believe  that  it  is  not  such  a  terrible  task  to 
believe  in  Christ.  How  then  does  it  come  to  pass  that  the 
gospel  is  more  difficult  now  than  it  was  tlicn?  Pride, 
pride  is  at  the  bottom  oi'  ever}-  difficulty  that  is  thrown 
in  the  way  of  a  lost  sinner.  There  is  no  difficulty  can  be 
found  in  the  gospel.  All  the  gospel  requires  is  to  come 
to  Christ  as  helpless  sinners;  and  he  himself  insures  sal- 
vation. If  this  is  liiird,  there  can  be  no  difference  betwixt 
hard  and  easy;  for  nothing  can  be  easier  than  this;  and  if 
this  is  hi.rd,  nothing  can  be  easy,  under  the  sun. 

Every  sinner,  who  ever  will  be  saved,  must  be  saved  on 
the  very  same  plan  on  which  the  jailer  \\  as  saved.  And 
pra}',  how  was  he  saved?  Paul  had  him  safe  in  a  few  mi- 
nutes. How  did  he  do  it?  Did  he  make  him  run  the 
gantlet  betwixt  the  law  and  the  gospel  (to  use  a  military 
phrase)  for  a  week,  a  month,  or  a  year?  Did  he  make 
him  do  penance  as  a  preparatory  prerequisite  of  faith  be- 
fore he  was  fit  to  come  to  Christ?  No:  he  did  it  by  speak- 
ing eleven  words.  In  four  words  he  offered  the  blessings 
of  the  gospel:  "  Thou  slialt  be  saAcd;"  by  the  little  word 

1  2  3  i 

"  and"  he  connected  the  overture  with  the  condition;  and 

with  six  words  he  laid  the  whole  condition  of  the  gospel 
before  him:    "  Believe   on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."    A 

1  ■!         .>  4  ;■■)  t\ 

short  sermon;  but  it  did  the  business  effectually.  The 
jailer  consented;  and  the  matter  was  settled  at  once.  Paul 
did  not  stand  on  stepj:>ing  stones;  neither  did  the  jailer; 
neither  did  Christ.  Paul  called;  the  jailer  came;  and 
Christ  received  and  saved  him. 

We  feel  ourselves  highly  pleased  to  read  Acts  8.  26 — 
39,  where  we  find  Philip  converting  an  Ethiopian  eunuch 
by  explaining  to  him  the  seventh  and  eighth  \  erses  of 
the  fifty-third  of  Isaiah;  and  he  had  hiin  ready  for  baptism 
bv  the  time  thcv  came  to  the  first  water  course. 


404 

But  notwithstanding  all,  how  difficult  it  is  to  persuade 
a  sinner  to  come  to  Christ.  He  has  a  thousand  things  to 
do;  and  his  wicked  heart  is  undoing  as  fast  as  he  can  do 
for  his  life.  He  has  to  feel,  and  to  feel  more,  and  to  feel 
more  yet;  and  his  heart  will  not  feel  for  him.  He  has  to 
weep;  and  every  tear  is  valued  equal  to  gold;  but  the 
sockets  of  his  eyes  will  not  afford  enough  for  the  purpose. 
He  has  to  repent;  and  while  he  repents  of  one  sin  he  com- 
mits a  dozen;  and  he  gets  worse  instead  of  better.  He 
tries  to  hate  sin;  but  he  cannot  hate  it  enough.  He  tries  to 
love  God  and  holiness,  but  still  it  is  not  enough.  And  what 
is  the  worst  of  all,  he  tries  to  divest  himself  of  all  selfish 
principles,  and  have  all  his  views  and  feelings  purely  dis- 
interested. This  is  a  devilish  trick,  and  always  sets  the 
sinner  to  work  hard  for  nothing. 

Thus  betwixt  one  thiiig  and  another  there  is  often  five 
or  ten  years,  and  perhaps  sometimes  more,  spent  in  pre- 
paring to  believe;  the  gospel  all  this  time  inviting  the 
poor  wretch  to  come  as  he  is.  And  at  last  when  he  has 
wasted  his  time  and  strength  and  spent  his  money,  and 
Jiothing  better,  but  still  getting  worse  and  worse,  he  be- 
gins to  conclude  that  he  will  go  to  hell  in  spite  of  all  that 
can  be  done.  He  now  begins  to  wish  and  pray  for  faith; 
but  faith  will  not  come,  because  he  will  not  corhe  to 
Christ.  But  his  case  is  now  getting  desperate;  he  can 
wait  no  longer  for  faith;  he  must  come  without  it.  The 
gospel  still  calls;  and  lo!  the  poor  wretch  ventures,  just 
as  he  is,  submits  to  Christ,  and  finds  faith  and  Christ  both 
at  once,  and  complete  salvation  as  the  balance  of  the  con- 
tract. Now  to  look  at  the  way  sinners  do  before  they  will 
believe  makes  faith  appear  difficult;  but  this  is  a  wrong 
view  of  the  matter.  The  difficulty  lies  in  not  believing; 
while  the  sinner  refused  to  come  as  the  gospel  invited 
him,  he  had  difficulties  on  every  hand;  but  whenever  he 
set  his  face  toward  the  gospel,  there  was  more  done  in 
one  minute  than  he  had  done  in  ten  years  before;  and  he 


405 

luid  no  lalxDiir  nor  trouble  neither.  Before,  he  toiled  liard; 
betwixt  tlie  law,  j^ride,  and  the  devil",  he  had  his  hands 
full,  and  did  nothing  at  last.  And  how  did  he  come  after 
all  his  prejiarations?  just  as  bad  as  a  proud  heart  and  Sa- 
tan could  make  him:  poor,  j^uilty,  vile,  naked,  smiting 
upon  his  breast,  saying  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
"  sinner!" 

Siimers  under  serious  impressions  are  apt  to  feel  a 
number  of  objections  against  themselves.  They  ought 
to  try  to  answer  their  own  objections  themsehes,  W 
possible;  and  the  only  w^ay  to  do  it  effectually,  is  to  bring 
them  to  the  gospel.  Any  objection  that  can  be  covered 
with  an  overture  of  the  bible  ought  to  be  instantly  quash- 
ed, and  never  more  suffered  to  rise.  Such  persons  are 
apt  to  lay  their  objections  before  their  pastor  and  fre- 
quentlv  will  not  yield  even  when  they  are  fully  answered. 
I  would  not  discourage  any  serious  persons,  or  by  any 
means  dissuade  them  from  conversing  w  ith  their  minister 
or  any  religious  friend;  for  I  believe  God  is  pleased  to 
honour  his  ministers  by  accompanying  their  endea- 
vours to  the  comfort  of  distressed  souls;  witness  the  case 
of  Saul  of  Tarsus  and  Cornelius:  the  one  directed  to 
Ananias,  and  the  other  to  Peter  at  Joppa;  yet  it  is  cer- 
tainly the  duty  of  persons  to  try  to  be  themselves  satis- 
fied as  to  their  difficulties,  and  compare  their  notions 
with  the  all-comprehensive  oft'ers  of  salvation  made  to  the 
chief  of  sinners.  An  accurate  view  of  the  gospel  would 
answer  every  objection  a  sinner  could  make.  We  ought 
to  be  careful  to  consider  w  ho  are  the  subjects  of  the  gos- 
pel call,  and  what  the  gospel  offers,  and  on  what  condi- 
tions. The  proper  answer  to  those  inquiries  are,  1.  All 
who  hear  the  gospel  are  invited  to  come  to  Christ.  Here 
you  must  guard  against  false  and  wicked  constructions, 
which  arc  too  often  put  on  the  scriptures  on  this  subject. 
You  must  not  imagine  that  because  Christ  invites  the 
poor,  the  hungry,  and  tin  heavy  laden,  that  the  call  of  the 


406 

gospel  is  confined  to  them,  for  none  who  come  will  be 
rejected.  Neither  must  you  think  that  such  and  such 
qualifications  are  necessary  to  prepare  you  to  come  to 
Christ ;  for  he  has  given  his  word  that  he  will  not  cast  you 
out  if  you  come  unto  him.  You  must  not  imagine  that 
because  Christ  says  he  came  not  to  call  the  righteous 
but  sinners  to  repentance,  that  self-righteous  persons  are 
not  called,  but  those  who  are  sensible  of  their  sin.  I  men- 
tion this  text  particularly,  because  the  whole  world  seems 
fo  be  grosly  mistaken  as  to  the  sense  of  that  text.  By 
putting    the    little    word   self  in   the   text,    you    make 
our   Saviour  speak  perfect   nonsense,   flatly  contradict 
himself;  and  what  is  still  worse,  you  attribute  to  him  a 
positive  falsehood.  Christ  calls  the  ends  of  the  earth;  and 
whosoever  will  is  made  welcome  to  come.  He  comman- 
ded the  first  offers  of  the  gospel  to  be  made  at  Jerusalem; 
he  invited  the  rich  self-righteous  young  man  to  follow 
him;  he  spent  three  years  of  his  life  in  preaching  to  the 
self-righteous  Jews;  he  called  self-righteous  Paul;  and 
who  is  not  a  self-righteous  man  less  or  more?  If  there- 
fore Christ  did  not  come  to  call  the  self-righteous  to 
repentance,  why  did  he  do  it?  and  why  does  he  do  it  to 
this  day?  and  some  of  them  not  only  outwardly  but  ef- 
fectually by  his  Spirit?  witness  the  three  thousand  un- 
der Peter's  sermon,  and  Saul  on  his  way  to  Damascus. 
If  he  did  not  come  to  call  the  self-righteous  Jews,  why 
did  he  preach  to  them  that  they  should  repent?  It  is  a 
downright  falsehood  to  say  that  Christ  came  not  to  call 
the  self-righteous;  for  he  did,  over  and  over;  and  he  never 
did,  what  he  did  not  come  to  do.  He  was  expressly  sent 
to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

What  Christ  said  was  true.  He  was  found  fault  with 
because  he  eat  and  kept  company  with  publicans  and 
sinners.  He  vindicates  his  conduct  by  saying  his  business 
in  this  world  was  with  sinners,  and  not  with  righteous 
persons.  He  therefore  had  a  right  to  proclaim  the  calls  of 


407 

the  gospel  among  sinners  of  every  class  and  circumstance 
whatsoever;  that  he  viewed  the  world  as  dead  in  sin; 
and  that  there  was  none  righteous.  Inasmuch  therefore 
as  his  business  was  not  with  mankind  as  righteous  per- 
sons but  as  sinners,  why  should  he  be  blamed  for  asso- 
ciating with  all  sorts  of  sinners,  and  embracing  every 
opportunity  to  call  them  to  repentance?  But  to  say  he  did 
not  come  to  call  the  self-righteous,  when  he  did  it,  and 
came  to  do  it,  would  be  absurd,  contradictory,  and  false. 

The  truth  is  Christ  never  hindered  a  sinner  to  come 
unto  him  yet.  He  may  come  self-righteousness  and  all; 
and  he  will  in  no  wise  reject  him.  All  such  notions  as 
have  a  tendency  to  limit  the  offers  of  the  gospel,  and  in- 
duce sinners  to  attempt  to  qualify  themselves  for  the  gosr- 
pel  are  false  and  dangerous,  and  ought  by  all  means  to 
be  rejected. 

2.  As  to  what  the  gospel  offers  to  every  sinner  that 
hears  it,  we  may  sum  up  the  whole  in  the  word  saved. 
Christ  offers  pardon  and  sanctificatioh  to  every  soul  that 
hears  the  glad  tidings.  This  offer  is  not  made  merely  to 
them  that  come;  it  is  offered,  whether  they  come  or 
not;  and  lastly,  the  conditions  on  which  those  benefits  are 
offered  is  faith.  The  condition  is  not,  if  you  hunger  or 
thirst,  if  you  pray  or  repent,  if  you  confess  and  reform, 
if  you  love  and  obey,  &c.  but  if  you  come  and  accept. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  altering  the  terms.  You  must 
not  add  a  single  thing  to  it;  and  you  cannot  take  an\ 
thing  from  it,  for  it  is  as  low  as  it  can  possibly  be  alrea- 
dy. You  must  come;  you  must  just  come;  and  yon 
must  do  nothing  but  come. 

Those  who  attempt  to  bring  a  holy  heart  to  Christ, 
have  a  similar  disposition,  and  expect  a  sinular  reward, 
and  will  meet  with  similar  fare,  as  he  who  brought  tid- 
ings to  king  David  of  Saul's  death,  with  his  crown  and 
bracelets  in  his  hand.  The  truth  is  there  can  be  no  such 
thing-  as  coming  to  Christ  with  a  holy  heart.  Coming  to 


408 

Christ  is  believing  on  him,  or  consenting  to  receive  sal- 
vation from  him.  Thib  no  holy  man  can  do;  and  if  any- 
one attempts  to  do  it,  he  will,  find  it  impracticable.  An 
angel  could  not  believe  on  Christ;  he  might,  and  does 
believe  him,  but  not  on  him,  or  in  him.  A  devil  could, 
if  he  had  the  chance,  because  he  is  a  sinner;  but  an  angel 
is  holy,  and  therefore  could  not  come  to  him  for  salvation. 
We  sinners  may,  and  can,  and  ought  to  come.  Sinners, 
and  not  righteous  persons  can  be  the  subjects  of  salva- 
tion. We  are  sinners;  and  salvation  is  offered  to  us;  and 
we  are  consequently  called  to  accept  of  it.  It  is  our  duty 
and  our  privilege,  to  come  at  the  call  of  our  dear  Re- 
deemer, and  cordially  with  gratitude  accept  of  his  offer- 
ed mercv. 

How  many  thousands  have  been  in  the  world,  and  are 
to  this  day,  who  have  lived  and  died,  without  enjoying 
one  offer  of  mercy !  We  pity  them ;  but  we  cannot  help 
them.  But,  alas,  how  many  who  have  the  oft'ers  of  mercy 
every  day  they  live,  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon 
precept,  live  in  a  total  neglect  of  their  great  salvation. 
When  we  consider  the  worth  of  the  immortal  soul,  and 
the  inestimable  price  of  salvation,  and  the  gracious  con- 
ditions on  which  it  is  offered,  we  are  ashamed,  astonish- 
ed, and  confounded  at  the  thought  of  a  lost  sinner  reject- 
ing and  despising  those  gracious  proposals.  Who  would 
ever  have  thought  that  a  sinner  would  neglect  the  salva- 
tion of  his  own  soul!  Do  sinners  know  that  they  must 
die?  Do  they  know  that  they  must  live  for  ever?  How 
-can  they  make  choice  of  the  empty,  fleeting  enjoyments 
of  this  world,  which  cannot  make  them  happy  in  eternity! 
When  a  sinner  has  his  own  choice  whether  life  or  death, 
it  is  truly  strange  that  he  would  choose  to  die  eternaiiy, 
rather  than  embrace  the  gospel.  If  the  gospel  called  sin- 
ners to  do  some  great  thing,  if  it  laid  some  insurmounta- 
ble difiiculty  before  them,  they  would  at  least  be  more 
excusable;  but  when  they  are  invited  to  accept  salvation 


4oy 

atj  a  i^racioiih  gilt  at  the  hand  of  an  ahuii^lity  Saviour,  no 
possil)lc  excuse  can  be  plead  hi  their  behall'.  The  solemn 
interrogation   in   the   bible   must  indeed  be  very  per- 
tinent in  the  case  of  every  sinner  who  rejects  the  free 
offers  of  salvation :  "  Why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel "?" 
Even  to  set  aside  every  principle  of  duly  or  obligation, 
and  all  the  soft  and  tender  feelings  of  gratitude  to  the 
best  friend  and  kindest  benefactor,  and  to  argue  from 
principles  of  self-interest,  sinners  never  could  vindicate 
their  awful  neglect  of  the  eternal  salvation  of  their  own 
souls.  But  when  we  add  to  this,  the  solemn  obligation 
of  sinners  in  point  of  duty  to  a  gracious  sovereign,  even 
their  Creator  and  Redeemer,  their  case  looks  desperate. 
And  when  we  still  farther  take  a  view  of  the  price  that 
was  paid,  who  paid  it,  and  how  it  was  paid,  and  for  whom, 
it  kindles  our  indignation  to  think  of  the  infinite  base- 
ness of  a  sinner's  ungrateful  heart.   It  seems  to  require 
proof  (but  alas  there  are  proofs  too  many!)  to  make  us 
believe  it  possible  that  there  can  be  such  a  foolish,  wick- 
ed, and  ungenerous  soul  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  It 
is  really  astonishing,  that  notwithstanding  all  that  Christ 
has  done,  and  notwithstanding  all  he  offers,   many  to 
whom  the  offers  are  made,  are  the  very  persons  who  re- 
ject the  salvation  proposed  freely,  foregoing  all  the  bles- 
sings of  life,  and  the  everlasting  glory  and  happiness  of 
heaven,  and  at  the  horrible  risk  of  eternal  damnation. 
No  intreaties  will  move  them.  No  proposals  will  allure 
them.  No  threatenings  deter  them.  No  arguments  will 
persuade  them.  Some  live  in  a  sullen  inattention  to  every 
thing  good.  Son     sport  their  time  away  in  merry  enter- 
tainments and  diverting  amusements.  Others  neglect  the 
one  thing  needful,  through  attention  to  the  business  of 
the  world.   Others  again  are  not  merely  inattentive  to 
religion,  but  try  to  laugh  it  to  scorn,  ridicule  and  deride 
the  gospel,  and  make  a  laughing  sport  of  every  thing 
serious.  Surely  no  man  need  covet  their  happiness,  nor 

3  F 


41b 

envy  their  prospects.  Can  God  Almighty  bear  with  such 
rebels?  Is  there  not  a  day  approaching  when  their  faces 
will  gather  blackness,  and  terrible  confusion?  Will  not 
the  precious  blood  of  the  cross  cry  aloud  for  vengeance 
against  those  who  ridicule  and  set  at  nought  the  infinite 
treasures  of  the  gospel?  O  sinners!  sinners!  learn  to 
be  wise  before  your  day  is  over.  "  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he 
"  be  angry,  and  3  e  perish  from  the  way  when  his  wrath 
"  is  kindled  but  a  little.  Let  the  potsherd  strive  with 
"  the  potsherds  of  the  earth;  but  wo  to  the  man  who 
"  siriveth  with  his  Maker."  Your  breath  is  in  your  nos- 
trils ;  you  depend  on  God  every  moment  you  live.  While 
he  gives  you  life  and  health  and  the  gospel  too,  you  can 
vaunt  as  if  you  were  something;  you  can  spend  your 
lives  in  sin,  set  your  Maker  at  defiance  and  despise  the 
offers  of  his  mercy.  But  remember  that  for  all  this  God 
will  call  you  to  judgment.  Sinners  are  such  puny  things 
that  they  shrink  at  the  appearance  of  a  worm ;  yet  they  are 
so  audacious  that  they  can  outbrave  the  threats  of  their 
Maker. 

''  But  let  them  remember  the  days  of  darkness,  for  they 
"  shall  be  many."  With  all  the  pride  and  haughtiness  of  a 
sinner's  heart  it  will  not  be  hard  for  Omnipotence  to  hum- 
ble him.  He  who  could  stand  on  the  deck  of  a  ship  in  the 
midst  of  a  furious  storm  and  say  to  the  winds  and  the 
foiiming  ocean,  "  Peace,  be  still;"  he  who  could  make 
all  nature  to  sympathize  with  his  dying  groans;  he  Avho 
burst  the  bars  of  death  and  came  forth  like  a  mighty 
giant  in  spite  of  Pilate's  seal  and  guard,  with  one  word 
can  make  the  sinner  shrink  to  nothing. 

Let  me  exhort  careless,  wicked  rebels  against  the  gos- 
pel to  consider  what  they  are  doing.  It  is  no  trifle  for  )ou 
to  neglect  or  reject  the  offers  of  salvation.  There  is  a  price 
put  into  your  hand,  but  you  have  no  heart  to  improve  it. 
You  could  be  saved  if  you  would  only  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  dreadful  to  reject  'the  offers  af 


411 

the  gospel.  To  prove  obstinate  when  Christ  calls  and  in- 
vites you  to  come  to  him  for  life,  will  be  fatal  to  your 
souls.  Look  at  the  antediluvian  world  and  learn  to  fear 
your  Maker's  displeasure.  Go  down  to  Kg^N  pt  and  ask 
king  Pharaoh  the  consequence  of  disregarding  the  word 
of  ihe  Lord.  Go  down  to  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  and  see 
tht  effects  of  bold  impiety.  What  became  of  Korah,  Da- 
than  and  Abiram  for  their  rebellion?  Behold  the  desola- 
tion of  proud  Babylon!  the  habitation  of  doleful  creatures, 
the  owls,  the  dancing  satyrs,  the  wild  beasts  of  the  de- 
sert and  the  islands,  and  dragons.  (Is.  13.  21,  22.).  See 
the  dreadful  consequence  of  rejecting  the  calls,  warnings 
and  invitations  of  a  crucified  Saviour,  on  the  hardhearted 
and  unbelieving  inhabitants  of  Judea  and  Jerusalem.  Their 
temple  rased  to  the  foundation,  and  the  devoted  nation 
scattered  abroad  over  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  exhibiting 
an  awful  example  in  all  our  seaport  towns  and  cities  of 
the  displeasure  of  Him  whom  they  nailed  to  the  accursed 
tree. 

How  many  instances  could  be  called  up  to  view,  in 
which  God  has  showed  the  greatness  of  his  power  and 
the  terrors  of  his  wrath.  Yet  sinners  liardened  and  rebel- 
lious, in  spite  of  all  intreaties,  warnings  and  examples, 
will  rush  like  the  horse  into  the  battle,  and  run  upon  the 
bosses  of  Jehovah's  buckler.  Sinner!  do  you  mean  to 
try  the  strength  of  the  arm  of  God,  and  provoke  him  to 
the  combat?  Will  you  not  submit  to  Jesus  before  he  roars 
like  a  lion,  and  leaps  upon  his  prey?  If  this  stone,  the 
head  of  the  corner,  at  which  your  are  oflended,  and  over 
which  you  stumble,  falls  upon  you,  it  will  grind  you  to 
powder. 

How  awfully  malignant  is  the  sin  of  unbelief.  The 
greater  the  blessings  offered  in  the  gospel  and  the  easier 
the  conditions  on  which  they  are  offered,  the  more  inex- 
'"usable  must  the  sinner  be  who  refuses  to  comply.  But  if 


412 

as  we  liavc  denionstrated,  the  everlasting  blessings  of 
eternal  salvation  are  offered  to  a  sinner,  entirely  lost  and 
undone,  on  the  low  condition  of  his  simple  consent  to 
receive  it,  if  he  refuses,  it  is  impossible  to  calculate  the 
aggravations  of  his  crime.  The  violation  of  every  demand 
from  the  sinner's  best  interest  is  ready  to  stare  him  in  the 
face,  and  pronounce  him  lost  to  all  sensibility  as  to  his  own 
happiness.  Every  degree,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest, 
of  ingratitude  even  to  the  dearest  friend  who  has  laid 
down  his  life  for  our  sakes  to  save  us  from  death,  cries 
aloud  for  vengeance  on  the  unbeliever,  who  ungratefully 
disregards  the  blessings  of  salvation  and  undervalues  the 
vicarious  sufferings  of  Christ.  The  highest  and  the  basest 
degree  of  pride  rules  in  the  heart.  The  greatest  dishonour 
that  can  possibly  be  done  to  God  is  unbelief.  The  most 
daring  affrontery,  rebellion  and  obstinacy  is  in  this  sin. 
It  contains  the  height  of  madness  and  folly.  There  is  no 
possible  excuse  for  unbelief.   If  a  sinner  only  hears  the 
gospel  and  enjoys  the  offers  of  salvation,  his  mouth  must 
be  eternally  shut  if  he  does  not  accept  of  free,  unmerited 
mercy.  Had  he  to  make  atonement  for  his  own  crimes,  he 
might  say  he  was  unable;  had  he  to  change  the  disposition 
of  his  own  soul,  he  might  say  that  the  task  was  too  great 
for  him;  had  he  never  heard  the  gospel  or  had  the  free 
offer  of  salvation,  he  might  say  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  believe;  and  would  certainly  be  free  from  the  sin  of  un- 
belief. But  when  Christ  offers  his  own  righteousness  for 
his  justification,  and  his  Spirit  to  sanctify;  when  in  short, 
every  thing  necessary  is  offered  freely  and  the  sinner  has 
no  condition  to  perform,  to  have  the  whole  kingdom  se- 
cured as  a  free  gift  of  God,  but  barely  consent  to  receive  it 
graciously,  he  cannot  be  excused  if  he  does  not  believe. 
Had  he  to  be  regenerated  or  sanctified  before  he  could 
believe,  had  he  to  love  God  and  holiness  and  hate  sin 
and  repent,  had  he  to  be  divested  of  all  self-love  and 


413 

iickhcr  wish  to  escape  licll  nor  be  happy  in  hciucn,  Ifc 
might  be  reasonably  excused.  But  when  he  is  invited  to 
come  just  as  he  is  by  nature,  wretched,  and  miserable,  and 
poor,  and  blind,  and  naked,  and  receive  of  Christ  every 
thinp^  necessary  for  his  salvation,  if  he  refuses  he  must  be 
sealed  up  in  eternal  silence,  and  never  be  able  to  utter  a 
syllable  in  excuse  for  his  ungrateful  conduct. 

The  too  common  excuse  of  sinners  "  I  cannot  believe'^ 
looks  so  meagre  and  wryfaced,  that  it  is  a  shame  for  a  man 
ever  to  make  use  of  it.  Those  who  preach  that  doctrine,  if 
they  mean  any  thing  else  than  an  unwillingness  to  be  sa>  ed 
by  Christ,  have  never  understood  the  nature  of  faith;  and 
they  ought  to  study  the  gospel  better  before  they  preach 
another  sermon.  Every  sinner  who  makes  this  excuse 
wishes  in  his  heart  to  lay  his  Maker  in  the  fault;  and 
barefacedly  impeaches  both  the  wisdom  and  the  goodness 
of  God.  God  could  as  well  save  a  sinner  without  faith  as 
with  it  if  the  sinner  is  not  able  to  believe.  If  God  has  to 
plant  all  the  principal  parts  of  salvation  in  a  sinner's  heart 
to  enable  him  to  believe,  the  gospel  plan  is  quite  out  of  a 
sinner's  reach,  and  consequently  does  not  suit  his  case; 
and  it  must  be  impossible  for  God  to  condemn  a  man  for 
tmbelief;  for  no  just  law  condemns  or  criminates  any  per 
son  for  not  doing  what  he  cannot  do. 

It  is  in  vain  to  say  that  the  sinner  has  hjst  his  ability  in 
the  fall.  This  is  like  the  old  astronomy  which  made  the 
sun  revolve  round  the  earth.  What  power  has  the  sinner 
lost  by  the  fall?  The  power  to  believe  on  Christ  he  never 
had,  nor  could  have  that  power  until  he  fell.  Adam  before 
lie  fell  could  no  more  come  to  Christ  for  salvation  than  he 
could  ily  to  Jupiter's  moons.  Adam  could  not  lose  what 
he  never  had.  It  was  by  the  fall  he  got  pow  cr  to  accept  of 
the  offer  of  salvation.  None  but  a  fallen  creature  can  bcr 
lievc.  Gabriel  never  had  that  power  nor  ever  will.  Mirtiv 
a  sinner  -wiU  not;  but  no  sinner  can  not,  who  enjoys  the 


414 

gospel.  They  all  can  if  they  will;  and  will  be  damned  if  they 
will  not. 

I  sincerely  advise  every  sinner  not  to  take  that  excuse  to 
the  bar  of  God.  If  you  do,  sinner,  you  will  be  found 
among  the  liars  who  will  have  their  part  in  the  lake  that 
burns  with  fire  and  brimstone.  But  try  whether  you  can 
believe  or  not.  Try  hard;  and  if  you  cannot  do  it  by  trying 
hard,  try  easy;  and  I  will  warrant  you  will  do  it  effectually. 


415 


BOOK  V. 


The  nature  of  the  salvation  proposed  in  the  gospel  or  cove- 
nant oj'grace^  promised  and  applied  to  believers.  Or  the 
consequences  of  an  interest  in  Christ  bij  faith. 


CHAPTER  r. 

Justification. 

We  have  attempted  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  the  parties,  and  faith  the  condition  of  the 
covenant.  We  have  seen  that  whenever  a  sinner  behcves, 
he  performs  hib  part  of  the  covenant;  and  Christ,  accord 
ing  to  his  own  proposals,  comes  under  covenant  eni^age- 
ments  to  make  good  his  word,  in  granting  every  grace 
stipulated  in  this  covenant  to  the  believer;  who  is  now 
interested  in  him,  and  by  faith  united  to  him,  and  has  a 
covenant  claim  to  the  whole  of  that  precious  salvation 
which  was  purchased  on  the  cross  and  offered  freely  in 
the  gospel.  I  come  now  to  treat  of  the  happy  effects  of  an 
interest  in  Christ,  and  to  explain  the  nature  of  those 
graces  and  blessings  of  the  gospel,  which  constitute  the 
salvation  of  a  sinner. 

The  first  and  most  immediate  consequence  of  an  inte- 
rest in  Christ  by  faith  is  the  imputation  of  the  spotless 
righteousness  of  Christ.  What  this  righteousness  is  I 
have  already  explained.  The  proper  idea  of  imputation 
is  to  reckon  over  to  another,  so  that  in  law  whatever  is 
thus  reckoned  over  is  legally  considered  as  belonging  to 


416 

the  person  to  whose  account  it  is  placed.  Guilt  or  rit^-hte- 
ousness  can  be  and  is  thus  imputed.  In  such  cases  of 
imputation,  the  two  persons  are  legally  considered  as  one. 
The  law  of  God  viewed  Adam  and  his  posterity  as  one, 
and  would  have  viewed  his  posterity  righteous  had  he 
kept  the  covenant;  but  in  consequence  of  his  sin,  his 
guilt  is  imputed  to  them,  and  they  all  become  legally 
guilty  and  under  the  curse.  When  Christ  became  the 
surety  for  the  sinner,  the  la^v  considered  him  one  with  the 
sinner;  and  he  was  viewed  by  the  law  as  a  transgressor. 
Thus  our  guilt  was  imputed  to  him,  in  consequence  of 
his  voluntarily  assuming  our  place;  he  consequently  suf- 
fered the  penalty  due  to  or  demanded  by  the  law  in  our 
room.  When  a  sinner  believes,  according  to  the  gospel 
plan,  the  law  views  Christ  and  the  believer  as  one;  and  the 
believer  is  legally  considered  as  having  satisfied  the  de- 
mands of  justice  in  Christ  his  surety;  the  law  placing 
what  Christ  has  done  to  the  sinner's  account;  and  thus 
the  sinner  by  imputation  becomes  righteous.  And  every 
one  must  see  how  completely  righteous  the  believer 
must  be,  having  the  great  atonement  of  the  cross  to  plead 
in  his  behalf. 

Thus  the  believer  is  justified  through  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ.  Justification  is  justly  ranked  among  the 
graces  of  salvation,  and  is  indeed  the  first  thing  that  is 
done  for  the  believer  on  the  footing  of  the  imputation  of 
Christ's  atonement.  Hence  the  apostle  ranks  it  first  in 
the  blessings  of  the  gospel.  "  If  while  we  were  enemies 
"  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son, 
"  much  more  being  reconciled  we  shall  be  saved  by  his 
"  life."  Rom.  5.  10.  Compare  this  with  the  preceding 
verse  and  you  will  find  that  reconciliation  and  justifica- 
tion are  the  same  thing.  "  Being  justified  by  his  blood, 
^'  we  shall  be  saved  from  wrath  through  him."  Also  in 
Col.  2.  13.  he  says,  "  and  you  being  dead  in  your  sins, 
''  &:c.  hath  he  quickened  together  with  him.,  having  for- 


417 

"  given  you  all  trespasses."  Here  you  may  see  that  re- 
conciliation, justification  and  forgiveness  are  all  synony- 
mous phrases  expressing  the  same  thing. 

Justification  is  therefore  God's  pronouncing  the  be- 
liever just  or  righteous,  through  the  imputed  righteous- 
ness of  Christ;  by  which  righteousness,  his  guilt  is  re- 
moved or  rather  atoned  for;  and  consequently  "  his  sins 
"■  and  his  iniquities  are  remembered  no  more." 

The  Westminster  divines  have  given  an  excellent 
definition  of  justification;  only  \vc  ought  to  read  even 
instead  of  and;  and  then  it  would  read  thus,  *'  Wherein 
'*  he  pardoneth  all  our  sins,  even  accepteth  (accounteth 
'*  or  declareth)  us  as  righteous  in  his  sight,  only  for  the 
''  righteousness  of  Christ,"  Sec.  This  would  show  that 
pardon  and  accountirg  us  righteous  for  Christ's  sake 
is  the  same  thing.  Perhaps  this  is  what  they  meant.  It  is 
however  the  true  gospel  notion  of  pardon  and  justifica- 
tion. When  we  who  are  fathers  pardon  our  children,  we 
do  it  by  a  mere  act  of  grace  or  pity,  by  withholding  the 
rod  which  is  justly  due  to  the  offender,  and  thus  suffering 
the  guilty  to  go  unpunished.  We  consequently,  in  such 
cases,  never  justify;  for  it  is  legally  impossible  to  justify 
where  guilt  remains  unatoned;  we  only  suffer  the  child 
to  remain  with  his  guilt  upon  him,  but  remit  the  punish- 
ment. But  God  never  pardons  so;  it  would  be  directly 
contrary  to  his  justice,  and  contrary  to  his  word.  He  has 
declared  that  he  "  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty."  If 
God  could  (or  would)  forgive  in  this  manner  there  would 
liave  been  no  need  for  the  death  of  Christ.  When  God 
f6rgives  sin  he  does  it,  not  by  a  mere  gracious  act  of 
omitting  or  withholding  the  just  punishment  due  to  the 
sinner,  but  by  imputing  the  atonement  of  Christ  to  the 
believer;  by  which  atonement  the  believer  is  accounted 
perfectly  righteous,  and  not  a  single  particle  of  guilt 
remains.  This  is  pardon  infinitely  above  ours  indeed.  It 
is  pronouncing  him,  who  was  in  himself  a  sinner,  com- 

^  G 


418 

pletelj'  righteous  in  consequence  of  his  interest  in  Christ 
by  faith. 

Moreover,  God's  accounting  the  believer  righteous  is 
the  very  same  thing  as  to  acknowledge  his  right  and  title 
to  the  blessings  of  the  kingdom;  for  the  same  righteous- 
ness which  removes  the  believer  from  the  curse  must. 
give  him  a  title  to  the  blessing. 

The  notion  that  justification  consists  in  two  distinct 
parts,  viz.  a  deliverance  from  guilt,  and  a  title  to  heaven 
or  pardon  and  acceptance,  has  arisen  from  the  notion  of 
Christ's  active  and  passive  obedience  constituting  our 
justifying  righteousness.  For  as  the  righteousness  con- 
sists in  two  distinct  parts,  so  must  justification  also;  or 
we  could  find  nothina"  for  Christ's  active  obedience  to  do. 

O 

And  the  notion  of  Christ's  active  and  passive  obedience 
'as  our  righteousness  has  arisen  from  our  notion  that 
Adam  had  to  keep  the  moral  law  as  a  condition  of  the 
covenant  of  works,  as  well  as  not  eat  the  forbidden  fruit; 
and  also  our  notion  that  the  moral  law  must  be  actively 
kept,  when  it  is  broken;  and  that  it  would  not  be  satisfied 
with  the  fulfilment  of  the  penalty.  So  that  we  have  a  sys- 
tem beginning  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  extending  to 
the  life  and  death  of  Christ;  and  from  the  life  and  death 
of  Christ  to  the  believer's  justification;  and  from  justi- 
fication through  the  process  of  sanctification;  placing 
regeneration,  the  radical  part  of  it,  before  the  sinner  has 
by  faith  any  personal  interest  in  either  the  active  or  pas- 
sive obedience  of  Christ,  and  the  remaining '  process 
afterwards;  until  at  last  the  active  obedience  lands  the 
believer  in  heaven.' 

It  is  generally  the  case  that  when  a  man  starts  wrong, 
the  farther  he  goes  the  farther  wrong  he  gets.  And  he 
will  never  get  right  by  keeping  on.  When  we  adopt 
wrong  principles  we  are  under  the  necessity  to  continue 
wrong  to  make  our  sentiments  gingle;  for  right  and 
'vrong  never  can  agree;  and  if  we  begin  with  wrong 


41i^ 

Ulcus  we  must  go  on  with  tlu'Ui;  lor  it  looks  better  to 
have  a  system  than  a  jumble,  even  it"  we  should  be 
wrong. 

When  I  used  to  preach  tiiosc  sentiments,  I  confess  I 
thought  I  was  right;  1  had  been  taught  all  my  life  to 
think  so.  But  I  never  attempted  to  prove  those  parts  of 
my  doctrine  from  the  bible.  I  never  knew  w^here  to  find 
texts  that  would  prove  it;  and  I  was  always  above 
quoting  a  mere  chapter  and  verse  for  proof,  when  the 
words  said  nothing  to  the  point,  or  perhaps  would  prove 
the  contrary.  The  one  half  of  the  world  will  not  take  the 
trouble  to  incjuire  whether  a  text  quoted  as  a  proof  does 
really  prove  the  point  or  not.  After  taking  certain  things 
for  granted  as  first  principles,  I  could  demonstrate  with 
great  clearness  and  build  as  beautiful  a  system  as  any 
man  of  equal  abilities.  But  when  I  began  to  think  moit^ 
for  myself,  and  inquire  more  strictly  after  truth,  and 
like  till  Bereans,  searched  the  scriptures  to  see  if  these 
things  were  so,  I  soon  found  that  what  I  had  taken  for 
granted,  as  the  ver}^  ground  of  all  my  arguments  on  tlicse 
important  points  was  not  established  by  the  bible;  my 
beautiful  system  of  arguments  fell  of  course,  having  lost 
their  basis.  VV^hen  I  said  the  moral  law  was  the  condition 
of  tlu  covenant  of  works,  1  could  not  find  it  so  in  the 
bible.  Then  I  could  sec  the  absurdity  of  any  one  doing 
that  for  another,  which  both  had  to  do,  each  for  himself. 
And  a  temporary  condition  to  be  that  which  must  be 
obligatory  for  ever. 

Another  of  my  maxims  was,  that  the  broken  law  de- 
manded perfect  obedience  and  the  penalty  too.  But  I- 
eould  find  no  such  thing  in  the  bible.  I  was  so  sure  this 
was  right,  that  I  could  hardly  believe  my  own  eyes.  I 
was  truly  astonished  that  I  could  not  establish  this  point. 
But  I  could  not  make  scripture;  and  I  was  unwilling  to 
force  the  bible  to  speak  my  sentiments  whether  it  would 
or  not.  But. on  viewing  the  matter  I  found  it  a  self-cvi- 


420 

dent  absurdity,  and  wicked  injustice.  No  law  ever  did 
or  can  do  so,  in  order  to  justification;  either  obedience, 
or  suffering  the  penalt}-  in  case  of  disobedience,  will  jus- 
tify any  man;  but  both  are  legally  and  naturally  im- 
possible. 

Founded  on  this,  another  of  my  maxims  was  Christ's 
active  obedience  in  the  room  of  a  sinner.  But  this  fell  of 
course;  for  if  it  is  contrary  to  justice  to  obey  and  suffer 
too,  Christ  could  not  fulfil  the  precepts  in  the  room  of 
sinners.  I  found  no  solid  proof  for  it  in  the  bible,  but 
a  great  many  against  it.  However,  while  I  took  this  for 
granted,  I  had  to  take  several  other  things  for  granted 
before  I  could  argue  very  systematically.  I  had  to  say 
that  Christ  was  above  law,  and  needed  not  to  obey  it  for 
himself,  in  order  that  his  obedience  might  be  imputed; 
for  if  he  was  bound  himself  he  could  not  obey  for  another. 
All  this  time  I  forgot  that  Adam  had  to  obey  for  himself 
and  others  too.  The  very  same  arguments  whicBnvould 
have  shown  the  impropriety  of  Christ's  keeping  the  mo- 
ral law  for  his  people,  if  he  had  to  keep  it  for  himself, 
must  completely  overthrow  Adam's  obedience  to  the 
moral  law  for  his  posterity;  for  let  Christ  be  above  law  or 
not,  we  know  Adam  was  not. 

Here  I  had  to  stride  over  several  absurdities.  This 
sentiment  implies  that  if  Christ  had  not  been  a  surety  he 
might  have  done  any  thing;  it  would  not  have  been 
wrong  for  him  to  hate  holiness  and  love  sin;  but  because 
he  was  a  surety  for  a  sinner  he  must  be  holy  and  do 
nothing  wrong.  It  implies  also  that  a  lawgiver  is  never 
iDOund  to  do  right;  he  must  make  his  subjects  do  right, 
but  he  himself  may  do  as  he  pleases,  because  he  makes 
the  law.  I  wonder  if  he  is  bound  to  make  good  laws,  or 
has  he  authority  to  make  bad  ones,  and  direct  his  sub- 
jects also  to  do  wrong?  It  is  farther  implied  in  this  senti- 
ment that  the  law  of  God  requires  double  duty.  It  be- 
came the  duty  of  Christ,  because  he  was  the  surety  for 
his  people,  to  take  the  moral  law  as  the  rule  of  his  life; 


421 

and  after  lie  had  observed  it  punctually,  even  to  perfec- 
tion, his  people  also  are  bound  in  duty  to  do  the  very 
same  thing.  Not  only  so,  but  when  this  perfect  righte- 
ousness is  imputed  to  the  sinner,  it  does  not  fulfil  the 
law  for  him  at  last.  But  this  is  impossible;  for  perfect 
obedience  has  no  possible  degree  of  guilt;  and  if  imputed 
to  the  sinner  it  must  render  him  completely  free  from  the 
least  charge  of  guilt  and  imperfection;  yet  the  surety  had 
to  die  for  him  as  a  guilty  sinner  after  he  had  made  him 
perfectly  free  from  every  degree  of  guilt,  by  the  imputa- 
tion of  his  own  perfect  obedience.  So  God's  law  requires 
in  this  case  three  perfect  duties;  two  of  the  surety,  and 
one  of  the  principal  himself  It  must  consequently  be 
twice  wrong  for  once  right.  I  could  not  find  these  things 
proven  in  scripture. 

Another  maxim  I  had  was,  that  the  passive  obedience 
of  Christ  procured  our  pardon;  and  his  active  obedience 
procuIRl  our  acceptance  with  God,  and  title  to  the 
blessings  of  the  gospel.  But  I  found  I  could  not  prove 
this  doctrine;  but  that  the  bible  declared  the  contrary.  1 
found  that  our  boldness  to  enter  into  the  holiest  was  by 
the  blood  of  Christ.  And  that  by  means  of  death  we  re- 
ceive the  promise  of  eternal  inheritance;  and  that  by 
Christ  being  made  sin  (or  a  sacrifice)  for  us,  we  are  made 
the  righteousness  of  God  in  him.  Also  that  it  is  through 
the  one  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  that  we  are 
sanctified-i 

Consequent!}^  I  also  set  it  down  as  a  necessary  truth 
that  justification  consisted  in  two  distinct  parts:  pardon 
and  acceptance.  But  the  bible  tells  us  that  we  are  par- 
doned by  the  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness  (Rom. 
3.  25.),  through  fiiith  in  his  blood;  and  that  we  receive 
the  quickening  influences  of  his  Spirit  in  consecjucnce  of 
his  having  forgiven  all  trespasses  (Col.  2.  13.). 

God  is  always  pleased  with  those  who  are  righteous; 
he  pardons  none  but  those  who  are  righteous  through 


422 

Christ  by  faith;  so  that  pardon  and  acceptance  with  God 
is  really  the  same  thing.  To  be  not  guilty  is  to  be  righte- 
ous; to  be  righteous  is  to  be  acceptable  to  God.  Where- 
there  is  no  guilt  there  must  be  a  title  to  common  privi- 
leges. There  is  no  medium  betwixt  pardon  and  accept- 
ance; the  same  person  who  is  pardoned  is  accepted  by 
that  pardon.  The  same  word  which  proclaims  pardon, 
implies  acceptance ;  for  the  one  cannot  be  without  the 
other. 

I  do  not  apprehend  there  is  any  dispute  here;  the  dis- 
pute lies  in  the  particular  ground  of  both.  Those  who 
differ  from  me  say  that  pardon  is  by  the  imputation  of 
Christ's  death;  and  with  this  I  agree.  But  they  say  that 
acceptance  is  by  the  imputation  of  the  life  of  Christ;  but 
I  think  I  have  sufficiently  shown  the  absurdity  of  this 
sentiment.  Uix)n  the  whole,  justification  is  a  most  glo- 
rious part  of  our  salvation.  In  it  we  are  saved  from 
guilt  and  eternal  punishment.  It  is  honouring  to  God. 
It  is  making  a  guilty  sinner  righteous  through  the  spot- 
less atonement  of  the  cross.  It  is  done  in  a  perfect  consist- 
ency with  all  the  divine  perfections.  God  is  just,  and  the 
justifier  of  him  who  believes  on  Jesus.  And  it  completely 
opens  the  way  for  all  the  communications  of  the  divine 
Spirit  to  carry  on  a  work  of  grace  in  the  heart,  and  entitles 
the  sinner  to  all  the  rich  variety  of  the  blessings  of  the 
gospel  through  the  infinite  righteousness  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Well  might  the  psalmist  say,  •"  Blessed 
*'  are  they  whose  iniquities  are  forgiven,  and  whose  sins 
"  are  covered.  Blessed  is  the  man  to  whom  the  Lord  will 
"  not  impute  sin." 


43i? 

CHAPTER  11.   ^ 

Adoption. 

Adoption  is  another  consequence  of  an  interest  in 
Christ.  This  is  a  pleasing  circumstance,  in  which  we 
have  an  interest  in  the  love  of  our  heavenly  Father,  nihis 
tender  care  and  kind  protection.  We  possess  a  filial 
temper  of  mind  towards  God,  and  are  heirs  of  the  glo- 
rious inheritance  with  the  saints  in  light. 

Adoption  is  a  direct  consequence  of  justification.  The 
believe  r  being  united  to  Christ  by  fiiith,  and  freely  jus- 
tified through  his  righteousness,  through  the  great  love 
wherewith  God  hath  loved  him,  havi«ig  predestinated 
him  unto  adoption,  is  received  into  the  happy  number  of 
the  children  of  God.  He  is  acknowledged  as  a  child  and 
treated  as  sucli.  Adoption  presupposes  that  we  are  by 
nature  strangers  to  God,  and  aliens  from  the  common- 
wealth of  Israel,  and  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  hav- 
ing no  hope  and  without  God  in  the  world.  It  supposes 
that  we  had  no  right  to  the  blessings  and  privileges  of  his 
house.  But  in  thisvvonderful  dispensation  of  the  gospel, 
we,  who  some  time  were  afar  off,  are  made  nigh  by  the 
blood  of  Christ. 

It  is  true,  and  a  glorious  truth  it  is,  that  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  is  the  meritorious  cause  of  every  blessing 
of  the  covenant  of  grace ;  but  the  circumstance  of  adop 
tion,  the  appellation  of  sons  and  daughters  is  in  conse- 
quence of  our  union,  or  oneness  with  Christ.  He  is  the 
only  begotten  of  the  Father;  and  believers  by  faith  are 
united  to  him;  are  in  him;  become  all  one  in  him  (Gal.  5, 
28.).  They  become  the  children  of  God  by  faith.  Christ 
is  their  elder  brother,  and  the  first  heir  of  all  things;  and 
believers  become  joint-heirs  with  him.  By  his  preciou*^ 


424 

blood  they  are  redeemed  from  under  the  law  that  they" 
might  receive  the  adoption  of  sOns;  and  because  they  arc 
sons,  God  sends  forth  the  Spirit  of  Christ  into  their 
hearts  to  give  the  kind  intimations  of  their  sonship.  They 
possessing  the  same  mind  which  also  is  in  Christ  Jesus, 
feeling  a  cordial  love  and  friendship,  and  reverence  to- 
wards God,  and  a  dutiful  temper  of  heart  wrought  in 
them  by  the  divine  Spirit,  by  faith  and  confidence  claim 
their  heavenly  relation,  in  their  familiar  and  intimate  ad- 
dresses to  his  throne  call  him  by  that  paternal  appella- 
tion Abba,  which  signifies  Father  (Gal.  4.  5,  6.). 

This  is  like  a  child  indeed,  exercising  a  suitable  con- 
fidence in  God,  under  the  relation  of  a  father.  Adoption 
is  a  testimony  of  our  right  and  title  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  A  child  is  an  heir  in  law,  and  cannot  be  cut  out 
of  his  lawful  inheritance.  Hence  the  apostle  says,  (v.  7.), 
"'  If  a  son,  then  an  heir  of  God  through  Christ."  What  a 
glorious  heirship  is  this!  an  heir  of  God!  It  is  counted 
great  to  be  the  heir  of  an  earthly  king,  but  to  be  God's 
heir,  and  that  on  the  solid  footing  of  claiming  through  the 
firstborn,  is  truly  a  wonderful  circumstance.  The  same 
apostle  (1  Cor.  3.  21,  22,  23.)  on  the  same  principles  ex- 
tends the  privileges  of  God's  children:  "  All  things,'* 
says  he,  "  are  yours;  whether  Paul  or  Apollos,  or  Ce- 
"  phas,  (Peter)  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things 
"  present,  or  things  to  come;  all  are  yours,  and  ye  are 
''  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's." 

On  a  view  of  such  unbounded  honours  and  privileges 
as  these,  the  humble  believer  is  ready  to  shrink  under 
the  load,  and  asks  with  the  stripling  David,  "  who  am  I? 
■*'  or  what  is  my  life,  or  my  father's  house  that  I  should 
**  be  the  king's  son?" 

The  apostle  John  calls  upon  his  fellow  christians  to 
"'  behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
*'  upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God.'* 
And  on  this  footing  he  presents  us  with  the  most  glorious 


425 

liope  the  gospel  is  calculated  to  give.  Says  he,  the 
present  privilege  and  honour  which  we  enjoy  is,  that  wc 
are,  even  now  in  this  imperfect  state,  the  sons  of  God; 
which  gives  us  such  a.  glorious  prospect  that  we  are  not 
now  able  to  have  ideas  adequate  to  the  exalted  state  to 
which  we  shall  presently  arrive.  But  although  we  cannot 
comprehend  the  glory  of  that  happy  state,  we  are  sure  of 
two  things,  which  insure  every  thing  that  we  can  pos- 
sibly desire,  or  that  can  constitute  our  happiness,  viz. 
"We  shall  be  like  him:"  like  God!  complete  in  holi- 
ness and  happiness!  Also  "  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is;" 
we  shall  be  admitted  into  his  presence;  and  as  Paul  says, 
"  we  shall  be  ever  with  the  Lord;"  and  as  Christ  him- 
self said,  "  where  I  am,  ye  shall  be  also." 

Adoption  is  not,  nor  can  it  be  a  consequence  of  regene- 
ration; but  regeneration  a  consequence  of  it.  It  is  natu- 
rally impossible  for  a  child  begotten  by  a  father  to  be 
adopted  by  him.  His  father's  house  is  the  natural  privi- 
lege of  a  born  child;  but  a  strange  child  is  taken  into  the 
family  by  adoption,  and  obtains  his  privileges  by  special 
grace  and  favour;  and  when  adopted  is  governed  and 
brought  up  according  to  the  laws,  usages  and  customs  of 
the  house.   So  God  adopts  believers,  having  forgiven 
their  trespasses,  being  united  to  Christ  by  faith,  even  in 
the  rude  state  of  nature;  and  having  adopted  them  he 
cultivates  their  hearts,  and  by  his  Spirit  conforms  them 
to  his  image,  by  regeneration  and  sanctification.  Hence 
Paul  most  elegantly  observes  to  the  Galatians,  (chap.  4. 
6.)  having  told  them  "  Christ  was  made  under  the  law  to 
"  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might 
"  receive  the  adoption  of  sons,"  he  adds,  "  and  because 
"  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son 
"  into  your  hearts,  crying  Abba,  Father."  To  the  same 
purpose  he  says  to  the  Colossians,  (chap.  1.  21,  22.) 
*'  and  you  who- were  sometime  (or  once)  alienated,  and 
"  enemies  in  your  mind  by  wicked  works;  yet  now  hath 

3H 


426 

"  be  reconciled  in  (or  by)  the  body  of  liis  iiesh  through 
''  death,  to  present  you  holy  and  unblamable  and  unre- 
''  provable  in  his  sight."  Adoption  is  not  a  work  of  the 
Spirit,  but  an  act  of  God.  Regeneration  is  a  work  or  at 
least  the  introductory  work  of  the  Spirit.  The  one  is  that 
by  which  the  justified  sinner  is  acknowledged  as  a  son; 
the  other  is  that  by  which  he  is  made  to  possess  a  filial 
temper  of  heart,  and  is  by  the  process  continued  in  sanc- 
tification,  brought  up  as  a  son  in  a  holy  conformity  to 
the  will  of  his  heavenly  Father,  and  made  meet  for  his 
Iieavenly  inheritance. 

Christ  gives  to  all  who  receive  him,  even  to  those  who 
believe  on  his  name,  the  honour,  power  and  dignity  to 
become  (yivic-B-ut)  the  sons  of  God  by  adoption.  Those 
become  (tj/gwjjSvjo-oiv)  the  sons  of  God,-  not  by  birth,  blood, 
or  parentage,  nor  by  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  by  the  will 
of  man,  but  only  by  the  will  of  the  Father.  Christ  by  his 
righteousness  imputed  in  consequence  of  faith  opens  tlwe 
way  for  adoption,  and  God  the  Father  adopts  by  a  gra- 
cious act  of  his  own  will.  (John  1.  12,  13.)  "Having 
"  predestinated  us  to  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus 
"  Christ  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his 
"will."  (Eph.  1.  5.) 

We  become  the  children  of  God,  indeed,  by  regene- 
ration, but  not  in  the  same  sense  as  we  do  by  adoption. 
All  mankind  are  the  sons  of  God  as  they  were  begotten 
by  his  divine  power  in  creation;  so  are  the  devils;  and  so 
are  angels.  But  angels,  as  they  are  holy  creatures,  are 
eminently  the  sons  of  God.  (Job  38.  7.)  God  is  the  au- 
thor of  holiness;  he  not  only  created  the  natural  faculties 
of  the  mind,  but  also  by  suitable  manifestations  of  him- 
self he  influences  the  mind  towards  that  which  is  morally 
excellent.  Thus  he  becomes  the  Father  of  believers,  by 
begetting  theni  by  his  Spirit  and  word  of  truth.  (James 
1.  18.  2  Cor.  3.  17,  18.)  But  adoption  is  another  thing; 
which  is  evident  from  the  explanation  I' have  already 


427 

given  it.  In  regeneration  a  sinner  heconies  a  chilil  ol 
God,  as  lie  is  begotten  to  a  life  (A'  holiiuss;  but  in  adop 
lion  he  is  admitted  to  sonship  as  one  with  Christ,  and  in 
him  is  privileged  to  part.ike  of  the  blessings  of  God's 
kingdom;  and  those  very  sanctifying  influences  of  his 
grace  are  among  the  i)eculiar  advantages  to  which  he  is 
privileged  as  an  adopted  son. 

We  may  fartlier  observe  that  the  sah  ation  of  a  sinner 
consists  in  two  parts:  the  one  is  done  for  him;  and  the 
other  is  done  in  him  and  to'hiln.  Or  perhaps  it  would  be 
more  accurate  to  divide  the  latter  into  two,  and  say  that 
three  things  constitute  the  sinner's  salvation.  1.  What  is 
done  for  him.  2.  What  is  done  in  him.  And  3.  Wliat  is 
done  to  him.  Taking  the  imputation  of  Christ's  righte- 
ousness, the  righteousness  imputed,  and  faith  by  which 
it  is  imputed,  it  being  the  condition,  not  as  any  part  of 
salvation,  but  the  special  ground  or  plan  on  which  the 
Avhole  salvation  is  bestowed,  then  justification  and 
adoption  will  be  the  first  part;  sanctification  in  all  its 
branches  the  second;  and  the  resurrection  and  admission 
into  glory  the  third.  But  what  I  am  about  to  observe  here 
is  that  adoption  is  a  summary,  or  rather  the  result  of  what 
is  done  for  a  sinner.  That  is  to  say,  the  sinner  being 
united  to  Christ  by  faith,  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
imputed  to  him  and  he  completely  justified,  the  result  is, 
one  who  was  by  nature  far  from  God  is  now  fully  recon- 
ciled, freely  pardoned,  received  into  covenant,  becomes 
an  heir  of  all  things,  and  is  graciously  admitted  to  the 
enjoyment  of  all  blessings  and  privileges  necessary  for  his 
eternal  happiness.  This  is  adoption;  and  happy  will  the 
man  forever  be  who  is  an  heir  of  God  through  Christ. 

When  a  lost  sinner  is  sensible  of  his  guilt  and  lost  and 
undone  state,  he  feels  himself  invited  and  directed  by  the 
gospel  to  accept  of  the  oftcrs  of  salvation;  he  comes  poor, 
lost  and  helpless  on  the  invitation,  and  accepts  of  Christ 
.is  his  surety.  The  righteousness  of  the  cross  is  imputed. 


428 

even  counted  over  to  him,  and  he  is  freely  justified;  his 
guilt  is  removed;  and  he  is  considered  as  righteous 
through  his  surety;  he  therefore  is  viewed  as  fully  enti- 
tled to  the  blessings  of  the  gospel,  which  insures  com- 
plete salvation.  He,  being  united  to  Christ  by  faith,  is 
brought  from  under  the  old  covenant  and  into  the  new. 
The  result  of  which  is  adoption,  or  a  stranger  taken  into 
the  family  of  God  by  special  grace,  and  entitled  to  the 
laws,  customs  and  usages  of  this  new  situation. 

Every  proper  means  and  agency  are  employed  to  bring 
the  newly  adopted  child  to  a  suitable  and  fit  capacity  to 
enjoy  his  new  estate,  so  as  to  be  himself  happy  and  not 
to  mar  the  happiness  of  his  holy  brethren.  Hence  the  ne- 
cessity of  regeneration  and  sanctification,  to  which  those 
who  are  adopted  are  entitled  by  the  blood  or  atonement  of 
Christ;  and  of  which  they  have  the  glorious  privilege  by 
adoption. 

It  behooves  all  unbelievers  to  consider  the  wretched 
state  in  which  they  are.  Not  adopted  into  the  family  of 
God,  they  are  aliens,  strangers  and  foreigners ;  children 
of  the  M^orld  and  of  Satan;  under  the  penalty  of  the  bro- 
ken law;  guilty,  wicked  and  helpless.  They  have  no 
righteousness  to  entitle  them  to  any  favour  or  blessing. 
They  are  exposed  to  all  the  fatal  effects  of  guilt  and  pol- 
lution; children  of  wrath;  heirs  of  sin  and  death;  and 
fast  posting  to  destruction. 

When  there  is  a  door  of  mercy  opened  for  the  wretch- 
ed, a  way  of  salvation  for  the  miserable,  when  it  is  pos- 
sible for  those  who  are  afar  off  to  be  brought  nigh  by  the 
blood  of  Christ,  O  let  sinners  of  every  description  who 
enjoy  the  offers  of  mercy  come  at  the  call,  and  yield 
themselves  up  to  God  on  the  footing  of  the  gospel! 
Those  who  are  far  from  God,  are  far  from  happiness; 
and  it  is  in  vain  to  expect  to  enjoy  the  privileges  of  chil- 
dren unless  we  are  adopted  into  the  number  of  the  sons 
of  God. 


429 


Finally,  let  believers  know  and  feel  their  happy  privi- 
le^es,  and  claim  their  blessed  relation  to  God.  -  If  while 
-we  were  enemies  wc  were  reconciled  to  God,  much 
-  more,  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved."  Those  who 
are  adopted  may  and  ought  daily  to  use  a  happy  freedom 
with  God  as  their  heavenly  Father,  and  enjoymg  the 
glorious  hope  of  the  gospel  ought  to  purify  themselves 
even  as  he  is  pure. 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Intercession  of  Christ. 

The  intercession  of  Christ  is  a  very  important  article 
in  the  gospel,  and  truly  worthy  of  our  serious  attention 
Nothing  can  be  more  pleasing  than  to  thmk  of  Christ 
appearing  before  his  Father  pleading  the  cause  of  his 

^^iVave  introduced  the  intercession  of  Christ  in  this 
place,  after  having  treated  of  faith,  justification  and 
adoption,  and  previous  to  my  treating  of  the  most  impor^ 
tant  doctrine  of  holiness  in  all  its  various  branches  and 
exercises,  because  the  scriptures  seem  generally  to  give 
us  the  idea  of  the  practical  or  experimental  part  of  our 
salvation  which  is  wrought  in  us  by  the  divine  Spirit,  to 
be  peculiarly  in  consequence  of  Christ's  intercession. 

The  intercessory  arguments  are  presented  to  God 
arising  from  the  atonement;  for  our  surety  could  not 
prevail  with  God  but  on  the  footing  of  a  complete  atone- 
ment for  sin.  God  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty.  A 
sinner  must  always  come  with  an  atonement  m  his  hand 
to  eain  the  favour  of  God.  And  herein  consists  the  glory 
of  the  gospel  plan;  the  sinner  is  permitted  to  approach 
the  throne  of  grace  with  a  vicarious  atonement,  even  the 
righteousness  of  Christ.  Christ  having  taken  the  sinner  s 
place  and  offered  himself  a  ransom  for  sin,  appears  as  an 


430 

high  priest  in  the  most  holy  place,  even  in  heaven  itself 
in  the  presence  of  God  for  us,  having  borne  our  sins  in 
his  own  body  on  the  tree.  He,  on  the  footing  of  the  per- 
fect atonement  which  he  made  on  the  cross,  claims  a  per- 
fect right,  as  the  sinner's  surety,  to  every  blessing  con- 
tained in  the  covenant  of  redemption.  Christ  Jesus,  our 
dear  Redeemer,  always  stands  as  an  iijtercessor  with  his 
own  righteousness,  exhibited  on  the  sinner's  behalf;  so 
that  the  poor,  worthless,  imperfect  sinner  in  all  his 
prayers  and  services  obtains  acceptance  with  God,  being 
represented  by  the  perfect  righteousness  of  his  surety  and 
intercessor.  (Heb.  9.  24.  and  7.  24, 25.  and  10.  12 — 23.) 

The  intercession  of  Christ  may  be  divided  into  three 
parts,  to  wit.  For  the  elect  at  large  previous  to  their 
personally  believing;  for  the  elect  individually  at  the 
instant  of  believing  and  becoming  by  faith  personally 
interested  in  his  atonement,  according  to  the  covenant  of 
grace;  and  lastly,  for  believers  who  are  through  Christ 
justified  and  adopted  into  the  family  of  God. 

1.  Christ  claims  the  promises  of  his  Father  for  all  those 
whom  he  in  covenant  had  given  him  out  of  the  world. 
He  having  done  what  his  Father  gave  him  to  do,  on  the 
validity  of  hissuiferings,  having  given  his  soul  to  death, 
he  looks  for  and  depends  upon  the  fulfilment  of  the  en- 
gagements of  his  Father,  to  make  his  people  willing  in  the 
day  of  power;  and  that  he  may  see  the  travail  of  his  soul 
and  be  satisfied.  We  have  an  example  of  this  in  that 
ever  memorable  prayer  which  he  made  immediately  pre- 
vious to  his  sufferings,  (John  17.)  particularly  where  he 
prays  not  for  the  world,  but  those  whom  God  had  given 
him;  (v.  9.)  and  in  v.  20.  where  he  prays  for  all  who  will 
believe  on  him. 

It  also  appears  evident  that  Christ  put  the  greatest  con- 
fidence in  his  Father's  word,  where  he  says  "  all  that  the 
"  Father  hath  given  to  me  shall  come  unto  me. "  In  con- 
sequence of  the  prevalence  of  the  plea  presented  i)eforc 


4.11 

God,  the  Spirit  is  sent  down  to  convince  of  sin  and 
of  rightconsnc'ss,  and  to  persuade  sinners  to  accept  of 
Christ  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel:  "  If  1  go  not  away  the 
"  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you;  hut  if  I  depart  I 
"  will  send  him  unto  you;  and  when  he  is  come  he  will 
*'  reprove  the  world,  &c." 

2.  When  the  motives  of  the  gospel  have  prevailed  over 
the  sinner,  so  that  he  gives  up  to  the  offers  of  salvation 
and  becomes  a  believer,  he  is  instantaneously  interested 
personally  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  according  to 
the  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  Then  the  inter- 
cession of  Christ  immediately  puts  on  a  new  form.  Be- 
fore this,  as  we  have  already  observed,  Christ  plead  that 
the  sinner,  whom  he  had  purchased,  might  be  brought 
to  him;  but  now  the  sinner  has  actually  come  according 
to  the  gospel;  and  Christ  immediately  presents  his  righte- 
ousness in  his  behalf,  and  claims  his  justification.  What 
a  change  of  circumstances  takes  place  here!  The  guilty 
creature  has  come  to  Christ  with  all  his  guilt;  but  is  pre- 
sented to  God  in  the  beautiful  garment  of  a  complete 
atonement;  which  washes  away  his  crimes,  burying  his 
guilt  in  eternal  oblivion;  he  is  therefore  fully  justified  and 
received  into  favour,  admitted  to  all  the  privileges  of  the 
children  of  God,  as  I  have  already  explained.  Thus 
"  Christ  being  come  an  high  priest,  &c.  by  his  own 
"  blood  he  entered  in  once  into  the  holy  place,  having 
"  obtained  eternal  redemption  for  us." 

3.  Christ  intercedes  continually  for  those  who  are 
justified  by  faith  and  are  adopted  into  the  family  of  God. 
and  to  be  made  partakers  of  the  blessings  of  his  kingdom. 
It  is  peculiarly  on  the  account  of  his  intercession  that  the 
believer  enjoys  the  various  benefits  of  the  gospel.  And 
as  I  have  noticed  before,  the  scriptures  generally  give  us 
this  idea  as  to  the  intercession  of  Christ. 

The  apostle  to  the  Romans,  5th  chap.  10th  v.  seems 
to  found  the  intercession  of  Christ  on  our  reconciliation 


432 

by  his  death:  "  If  when  we  were  enemies  we  were  re- 
*'  conciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much  more, 
"  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life."  When 
we  compare  this  with  Heb.  7.  25.  we  find  that  the  life  of 
Christ  means  his  living  intercession:  "  Wherefore  he  is 
"  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God 
"  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
"  them."  We  also  should  notice  that  the  word  saved  in 
the  one  text,  and  the  word  save  in  the  other,  not  only 
mean  our  deliverance  from  guilt  or  punishment,  but  in 
a  special  manner  have  respect  unto  the  inward  work  of  the 
divine  Spirit,  delivering  us  from  the  power  of  sin  in  our 
hearts;  and  so  preparing  us  for  happiness  and  glory,  as 
the  peculiar  effect  of  Christ's  intercession. 

To  this  effect  we  are  to  understand  that,  most  ani- 
mating expression  of  our  Lord  to  his  disciples:  (John  14. 
19.)  "  Because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also."  The  death  of 
Christ  is  the  radical  ground  of  every  benefit  of  the  gos- 
pel. But  if  Christ  had  not  risen  again  to  live  for  ever, 
Paul  says,  our  preaching  would  be  vain  and  your  faith 
vain.  But  the  glory  of  Christ  is,  "  that  he  was  dead  and 
"  is  alive;  and  behold  he  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  and 
"  (consequently)  he  has  the  keys  of  death  and  hell." 
When  he  ascended  on  high  he  is  said  to  lead  captivity 
captive,  and  give  gifts  to  or  receive  gifts  for  men.  In 
Christ's  intercessory  prayer  we  easily  discover  the  drift 
of  his  intercession:  "  Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth; 
"  thy  word  is  truth.  For  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself, 
"  that  they  also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth." 
I  might  quote  many  other  passages  of  scripture  to  show 
that  our  access  to  God,  and  all  the  blessings  we  receive  in 
our  salvation  are  through  the  glorious  intercession  of  our 
dear  Redeemer. 

It  is  a  peculiar  blessing  indeed  that  we  have  one  ex- 
alted at  our  Father's  right  hand,  who  has  purchased  sal- 
vation for  us;  and  on  the  solid  ground  of  a  firll  and  com^ 


43S 

plete  purchase,  scestoand  provides  for  the  actual  bestow  - 
mtut  and  application  of  every  purchase  d  blessing.  One 
who  is  infinitely  wise,  powerful,  rich  and  i^ood,  true  to 
his  trust,  careful  in  cv^i}  state  and  circumstance  of  his 
people,  and  determined  to  save  to  the  uttermost  I  Mow  is 
it  possible  that  a  believer  can  lack  any  real  good  thing? 
He  may  indeed  for  want  of  proper  confidence  indulge 
fears  and  suspicions;  but,  blessed  be  God,  our  unbelief 
or  want  of  confidence  can  never  make  the  faith  or  faith- 
fulness of  God  without  effect.  Believers  will  find  to  their 
infinite  surprise,  that  they  knew  but  comparatively  little 
of  what  Christ  was  doing  for  them. 

We  often  find  the  duties  of  religion  seemingly  difficult 
to  perform.  The  dung  of  our  sacrifices  might  jus>tly  be 
cast  in  our  faces.  Sometimes  our  hearts  are  cold,  our 
affections  low.  Sinful  inclinations  sometimes  rise  high  and 
threaten  to  make  a  prey  of  us.  Our  prayers  and  confes- 
sions are  but  cold  formalities,  and  ouij^ervices  and  devo- 
tion but  empty  ceremonies.  And  even  in  our  best  frames 
how  much  have  we  to  acknowledge  with  shame?  and 
how  far  from  sinless  perfection?  The  glory  of  God's  di- 
vine perfections,  and  the  spirituality  of  his  holy  law 
would  consume  us  and  our  works;  and  we  would  fare 
like  Nadab  and  Abihu,  were  it  not  for  our  glorious  Inter- 
cessor. We  live  because  he  lives.  We  are  saved  because 
he  pleads  our  cause;  in  short,  we  enjoy  every  blessing  of 
the  covenant,  because  our  Redeemer  livcth  and  maketh 
intercession  for  us.  The  Spirit  is  sent  down  to  convince 
of  sin  and  of  righteousness;  to  show  the  sinner  his  sin- 
fulness and  guilty  state  in  consequence  of  sin,  and  to 
point  him  to  Christ,  like  John  the  Baptist,  only  with  di- 
vine power,  saying,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  who 
"  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world;"  we  come  at  the  call 
of  the  divine  Spirit  applying  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  and 
by  so  doing  we  believe  in  Christ  and  comply  with  the 
riondition  of  the  covenant  of  grace;  Christ  immediately 

3  I 


-     434  - 

presents  his  spotless  righteousness  in  our  behalf;  and  we 
are  justified  in  consequence  of  his  atonement,  as  having 
made  complete  satisfaction  for  sin;  and  are  adopted  into 
the  enjoyment  of  all  the  privileges  of  God's  children. 
Christ,  our  adorable  Redeemer  and  Intercessor,  as  it 
were,  takes  a  new  stand  before  the  throne  of  God,  or 
rather  takes  a  stationary  position  which  he  never  quits, 
until  he  gives  up  the  kingdom  to  his  Father,  and  God  be- 
comes all  in  all.  (L  Cor.  15.  24.  28.)  .And  by  his  inter- 
cession he  obtains  every  blessing  which  he  has  purchased 
for  his  people,  in  due  time  and  in  due  order. 

Every  petition  which  a  believer  puts  up,  according  to 
the  will  of  God,  is  presented  by  Christ  to  the  Father,  with 
his  spotless  righteotisnessto  procure  the  benefit.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  encouraging  circumstances  to  a  poor, 
weak,  unworthy  creature  that  is  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
plan  of  the  gospel.  It  is  truly  animating,  and  enough  to 
strengthen  and  revive  our  spirits,  to  think  how  our  un- 
worthy prayers  must  appear  before  God,  after  they  pass 
through  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ.  Often  we  ask  for 
things  wrong  through  our  ignorance  both  of  our  real 
state  or  condition,  and  also  of  what  is  really  good  or 
suitable  for  us.  And  for  want  of  a  perfect  knowledge  of 
God's  designs  in  his  infinitely  wise  management,  the 
particular  blessings  which  we  desire  would  often  cross 
the  plan  and  divine  purpose  of  God.  And  indeed  we  must 
confess,  that  through  a  froward,  proud,  domineering,  and 
even  a  fretful  and  peevish  spirit,  we  ask  for  blessings 
with  wrong  principles  and  motives.  A  thousand  daily 
imperfections  might  here  occur  to  our  mind  when  we 
think  of  the  many  ways  we  do  wrong.  Our  desires  are 
often  cold;  and  when  we  are  warmly  engaged  We  are  apt 
to  trust  more  to  our  happy  feelings  than  to  our  precious 
Intercessor.  Alas!  what  would  we  get,  what  could  we 
do,  and  what  would  become  of  us,  were  it  not  for  Christ? 
But  in  consequence  of  our  having  such  a  high  priest, 


435 

who  hath  an  unchangeable  priesthood,  w  ho  hath  entered 
into  the  hoi}  place  by  his  own  blood,  having  obtained 
eternal  redemption  for  us,  appearing  constantly  in  the 
presence  of  God,  we  enjoy  the  glorious  privilege  of 
drawing  near  to  God  with  a  true  heart  in  full  assurance 
of  faith. 

Our  blessed  Intercessor,  in  his  infinite  care  and  skill, 
suffers  none  of  our  imperfections  to  come  before  God, 
but  covers  them  all  with  his  spotless  atonement,  and  pre- 
sents his  Father  with  the  petitions  of  his  poor  imperfect 
children,  dressed  in  the  perfection  of  his  own  righteous- 
ness. If  weak  christians  would  consider  this  important 
circumstance,  it  would  silence  their  complaints  as  to  the 
unworthiness  and  weakness  of  their  prayers,  and  en- 
courage them  to  come  to  the  throne  of  grace,  even  il" 
they  had  nothing  to  say  but  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
"  sinner."  If  we  would  entertain  such  ideas  of  Christ,  as 
our  intercessor,  we  could  not  fail  to  feel  the  happy  effects 
of  it.  I.  It  would  always  direct  our  minds  to  Christ  ii^ 
our  prayers;  and  our  prayers  would  be  according  to  the 
gospel  direction:  (John  16.  26.)  "ye  shall  ask  in  my 
"  name."  2.  It  would  give  us  a  blessed  confidence  hi 
prayer  on  proper  principles.  3.  It  would  greatly  encou- 
rage us  to  pray;  and  it  would  take  away  our  unbelieving- 
fears  and  discouragements  in  prayer,  which  we  too  often 
indulge.  4.  It  would  make  us  feel  humble  under  a  sense 
of  our  dependence  on  God.  And  lastly,  It  would  culti- 
vate a  spirit  of  resignation  to  the  divine  will,  by  enabling 
us  to  expect  in  due  time  to  receive  what  we  pray  for 
agreeably  to  what  we  know  to  be  his  will  from  his  word, 
and  to  submit  the  rest  to  the  disposal  of  his  wisdom  and 
goodness. 

Christ  sometimes  gives  a  strong  desire  to  his  people, 
makes  them  feel  their  need,  and  draws  forth  their  he^u 
in  earnest  longing  for  his  blessings  before  he  bestows 
them.  This  is  the  intercession  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts. 


436 

Sometimes  he  surprises  the  christian  in  bestowing  bless- 
ings upon  him  unexpectedly.  The  spouse  is  an  instance 
of  both  these  circumstances.  How  earnestly  she  prays 
for  gales  of  divine  grace:  "Awake,  O  north  wind,  and 
"  come  thou  south,  &:c."  Christ  answers,  "  I  am  come 
"  into  my  garden,  my  sister,  my  spouse."  "  Tell  me,  O 
"thou  whom  my  soul  loveth,  &c.  If  thou  knowest  not, 
"  O  thou  fairest  among  women,  &c."  Again  she  says,  at 
another  time,  "  Or  ever  I  was  aware  my  soul  made  me 
"  like  the  chariots  of  Aminadib." 

Surely  God  will  withhold  no  real  good  from  those  for 
whom  Christ  intercedes.  It  is,  indeed,  impossible  for  us 
to  fathom  the  depth  of  his  dispensations;  neither  need  we 
attempt  to  understand  all  his  ways  of  dealing  with  his 
people.  But  one  thing  we  may  always  know,  and  ought 
always  to  feel:  that  what  he  gives  and  what  he  does  is  for 
our  real  good;  (Rom.  8.  28.)  and  while  ever  Christ  lives 
in  heaven  our  advocate  with  the  Father,  our  cause  can 
never  possibly  fail. 

Our  most  natural  and  easy  notions  of  Christ's  interces- 
sion is,  that  he  even  verbally  prays  and  pleads  our  cause 
before  his  Father;  and  that  he  hears  and  grants  the  bless- 
ings in  consequence  of  it.  This  is  always  the  case  with 
those  who  have  never  used  themselves  by  study  to  accu- 
rate thought,  and  to  have  correct  ideas  on  the  sublime 
subjects  of  divinity.  Even  the  most  learned  of  us  have 
these  very  ideas  on  this  subject,  unless  we  take  the  trou- 
ble to  think  accurately,  and  ascend  to  philosophical  nice- 
ties. And  indeed  it  is  no  wonder,  for  to  this  we  are  ac- 
customed, and  mostly  under  the  necessity  to  form  our 
ideas  of  spiritual  things  from  the  ideas  we  have  of  things 
temporal,  with  which  we  are  daily  conversant,  and  which 
we  can  see,  hear  and  feel;  that  the  first  impression  is  what 
is  common  to  all;  and  the  same  impression  lasts,  in  a  very 
considerable  degree,  in  spite  of  all  our  refined  philoso- 
phy. Also  when  we  are  in  our  devotionary  frames,  we 


437 

liavc  not  time  to  philosophize;  we  have  something  else  t<5 
do;  wc  have  to  take  our  ideas  as  they  come.  For  instance, 
when  the  most  accurate  divine  can  hardly  pray  to  God, 
even  in  secret,  without  puttitip;  his  ideas  into  words,  and 
sometimes  audibly  too,  when  he,  according  to  the  direc- 
tions of  the  bible,  puts  his  trust  in  Christ  and  views  him 
as  his  intercessor;  how  natural  and  easy  it  is  for  him  to 
have  the  idea  of  Christ  praying  for  him  just  as  he  does, 
only  making  allowance  for  Christ's  dignity  and  nearness 
to  the  throne  as  his  intercessor. 

I  am  far  from  thinking  this  to  be  wrong.  Christ,  speak- 
ing after  the  manner  of  men  as  was  common  for  him  to 
do,  and  as  suited  to  our  capacities  to  receive,  gave  to  his 
disciples  these  very  ideas:  "  I  will  pray  the  Father. 
"  When  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  Iwill  send  unto 
"  you  from  the  Father.  If  I  go  not  away  the  Comforter 
"  will  not  come;  but  if  1  depart  I  will  send  liim."  This  is 
also  the  natural  idea  which  we  gather  from  the  17th  chap- 
ter of  John,  where  our  glorious  Advocate  gives  us,  as  it 
were,  a  sample  of  his  intercession  before  his  Father  for 
his  people.  Many  passages  might  be  quoted  to  indulge 
these  our  common  ideas  of  Christ's  intercession:  "  Fa- 
"  ther  forgive  them  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  T 
have  prayed  for  thee  that  thy  faith  fail  not.  See  also  Rev. 
8.  3,  4,  5. 

There  are  sentiments  inculcated  by  some  and  also 
adopted  by  many,  which  I  consider  injurious  to  the 
comfort  of  God's  people,  and  consequently  luirtful  to  the 
general  cause  of  religion.  It  is  said  we  must  have  ideas 
of  God  exactly  as  he  is,  or  we  are  guilty  of  idolatiy  in 
our  worship;  that  wc  must  have  correct  views  of  Christ 
as  he  is,  both  as  God  and  Saviour,  or  we  cannot  believe 
on  him.  This  is  truly  fetching  divinity  to  perfection;  and 
I  cjuestion  much  whether  the  saints  in  glory  or  the  holy 
angels,  have  yet  or  ever  will  arrive  to  this  degree  of  per- 
fection. Many  christians  ha\'c  in  consequence  of  thost 


438 

ticklisli  sentiments,  with  very  little  foundation  in  the 
bible,  spent  their  days  in  fear,  lest  they  should  not  have 
exact  conceptions  of  God  and  of  Christ.  It  has  a  tendency 
to  darken  all  the  evidences  of  religion,  and  entirely  pre- 
vent christians  from  having  that  confidence  in  Christ 
which  the  gospel  requires  in  order  to  their  comfort.  If  a 
man  has  such  a  knowledge  of  God  as  to  conceive  of  him 
as  a  God  of  eternal  existence,  possessed  of  infinite  holi- 
ness, justice,  goodness  and  truth;  and  conceives  him  to 
be  his  Creator,  Preserver  and  final  Judge,  the  proper 
object  of  his  love,  reverence  and  worship;  if  he  conceives 
that  he  has  offended  him  by  transgressing  his  holy  laws, 
and  that  he  is  justly  liable  to  his  infinite  displeasure  in 
consequence  of  bin;  if,  moreover,  he  views  Christ  as 
equal  with  his  Father,  as  God,  and  becoming  man;  and 
that  he  is  God  and  man,  and  a  Mediator  between  God 
and  man;  that  he  died  in  the  room  of  sinners,  and  fully 
satisfied  justice;  and  that  he  is  now  seated  at  the  right 
hand  of  God  to  make  intercession  for  his  people;  that  he 
offers  to  save  all  who  will  come  to  him,  or  accept  of  him 
as  their  only  Saviour:  I  say  if  a  man  has  such  ideas  of 
God  and  of  Christ,  and  attends  to  the  offers  of  the  gospel 
and  comes  to  Christ  as  a  lost,  helpless  sinner,  there  is  no 
danger  of  his  salvation.  He  may  learn  more  and  more  of 
God  and  of  Christ  at  his  leisure;  and  Christ  has  promised, 
by  his  word  and  Spirit,  to  teach  him  what  is  necessary 
for  him  yet  to  know,  for  his  furtherance  and  growth  in 
religion.' (Heb.  11.  6.  John  16.  12,  13.  Col.  1.  10.) 

But  I  must  observe  before  I  finish  this  clause  of  my 
subject,  that  this  nice  piece  of  divinity  of  some  of  our 
fathers,  is  another  instance  amongst  many  of  the  strange 
propensity  of  the  human  heart  to  make  the  gospel  hard, 
and  religion  to  be  exceedingly  nice,  critical  and  difficult. 
Pride  is  at  the  bottom  of  it  all;  and  Satan  is  not  idle  in 
establishing  such  difficult  systems,  to  discourage  sinners 
in  attempting  to  come  to  Christ  on  the  simple  call  of  the 


439 

gospel,  and  to  worry  weak  believers  by  unhappy  doe. 
trines:  the  mere  nice  philosophical  commandments  of 
men,  without  any  gospel  authority.  A  man  who  could 
get  to  heaven  by  a  very  learned,  scholastic  knowledge  of 
the  genuine  nature  of  God  and  his  divine  perfections,  and 
ot  all  the  minute  wonders  of  Emanuel  and  mysteries  of 
the  gosj)el,  must  not  only  have  hard  work,  but  also 
gain  the  praise  of  "  well  done  good  and  faithful  servant;" 
thou  hast  been  faithful  in  very  many  intricate  and  insur- 
mountable things,  "  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 
But  on  these  principles  it  would  recjuire  a  man  to  be  sen- 
sible and  old  enough  to  be  the  president  of  the  United 
States  to  be  a  christian.  On  these  terms  1  w  ould  say, 
God  have  mercy  on  our  youth  and  African  slaves,  not  to 
mention  the  great  bulk  of  mankind  besides.  "  God  hath 
"  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  this  world  to  conibund  the 
"  wise." 

But  although  accuracy  in  knowledge,  especially  in 
deep  points  of  divinity,  is  not  absolutely  necessar}  to 
constitute  a  true  christian,  yet  it  is  truly  laudable  and  pro- 
fitable to  a  christian  to  grow  dailyin  his  knowledge  of  God 
and  the  gospel,  and  it  is  a  truth  that  the  more  correct  our 
knowledge  of  God,  of  Christ  and  the  plan  of  the  gospel  is, 
provided  we  do  not  perplex  ourselves  with  intricate  points 
or  introduce  those  difficulties  as  prerequisites  or  condi- 
tions in  the  plan  of  the  gospel,  the  simpler  the  gospel  will 
appear,  and  the  nrmer  our  hope  and  comfort  will  be. 

And  to  return  again  to  the  subject  of  Christ's  interces- 
sion, I  would  in  the  last  place  observe  that  although  it 
is  very  natural  and  very  usual  to  have  the  idea  of  Christ 
actually  praying  to  God  for  us,  and  although  Christ  gave 
this  idea  to  his  weak  disciples,  who  were  at  that  time 
not  able  to  receive  very  correct  notions  aliout  his  king- 
dom, and  even  although  this  is  a  very  comfortable 
thought,  yet  it  is  not  the  full  idea  which  the  scripttuTS 
give  us  of  this  important  circumstance. 


440 

Tlie  real  state  of  the  case  is  this :  Christ,  having  made 
complete  atonement  by  his  death,  rose  from  the  dead  and 
ascended  to  his  Father  in  the  character  of  a  mediator, 
where  he  is  in  his  two  natures,  the  divine  and  human, 
in  one  glorious  person;  having  received  this  honour  and 
dignity  from  the  Father  for  the  suffering  of  death,  God, 
the  Father,  thus  expressed  and  still  expresses  his  high 
approbation  of  what  Christ  had  done  in  the  sinner's 
room.  He,  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  atonement  of  the 
cross,  has  exalted  the  Son  at  his  right  hand.  Jesus,  the 
great  high  priest,  wearing  the  office  and  dignity  of  his 
priesthood  for  ever,  with  the  very  body  which  hung  on 
the  cross,  took  his  place  as  the  intercessor  for  his  people. 
There  he  is  continually  in  the  presence  of  his  Father  as 
their  surety  with  his  perfect  atonement  or  righteousness, 
presented  before  him  on  the  sinner's  behalf.  The  Father 
beholding  the  righteousness  of  his  Son  is  for  ever  well 
pleased;  and  the  poor  imperfect  believer  for  Christ's  sake 
is  accepted  in  his  person  and  his  services,  and  obtains 
every  necessary  grace  according  to  the  ever  prevalent 
plea  of  this  perfect  righteousness. 

O  behever,  look  up  to  heaven  with  joy  and  wonder, 
and  see  the  two  faithful  parlies  in  the  covenant  of  re- 
demption: the  Son  having  faithfully  fulfilled  the  awful 
conditions;  the  Father  faithful  to  his  Son  in  accepting 
the  sacrifice  he  offered;  and  now  having  exalted  him  as  a 
Prince  and  a  Saviour,  he  faithfully  grants  every  blessing 
claimed  by  that  atonement.  And  Jesus  faithful  to  you, 
poor  worthless  creature,  applies  by  his  divine  Spirit 
every  blessing  to  }'0ur  soul.  There  is  no  possibility  of 
failure  here.  The  ground  work  is  too  solid.  The  plan  is 
too  firmly  laid  in  the  depths  of  infinite  wisdom,  and 
executed  by  Almighty  power!  Surely  to  see  Jesus 
standing  before  God  on  your  behalf,  showing  the  prints 
of  the   nails    and    the  mark   of  the   spear,   is   enough 


441 

lo  make  you  cry  with    Thomas,    "  My  Lord  and  m} 
-'God." 

Reader,  art  thou  a  believer?  If  not,  make  haste,  sub- 
mit  to  Christ  in  a  moment,  lest  you  die.  For  however 
well  pleased  God  is  in  the  atonement  of  Christ,  yet  he  is 
a  dreadful  avenger  of  the  blood  of  his  dear  Son.  But  if 
you  are  a  believer,  can  }ou  possibh  doubt  of  30ur  salva- 
tion? With  such  an  advocate  in  heaven,  how  can  3  ou  be 
lost?  how  can  sin  threaten  with  its  deadly  sting?  can  devils 
prevail?  Nay,  let  me  ask  with  the  apostle,  who  is  he  that 
condemneth?  Christ  has  died,  yea  rather  is  risen  again, 
who  is  even  at  the  right  hand  of  God  making  intercession 
for  us. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  covenant  grounds  of  a  believer's  sanctijication  and 

glory. 

We  come  now  to  lay  before  the  reader  our  view  of  the 
principles  on  which  the  believer  obtains  the  privilege  of 
sanctification,  and  his  complete  admission  to  a  state  of 
eternal  glory.  To  prevent  misconstructions  of  what  I  may 
say  on  this  important  subject,  I  observe  that  the  atonement 
of  Christ  is  the  meritorious  ground  of  every  benefit  which 
the  believer  ever  enjoys,  and  that  faith  is  the  condition 
proposed  in  the  gospel  by  which  \\e  become  personally 
interested  in  all  the  consequences  of  that  atonement. 

That  I  may  be  the  more  clearly  understood  I  again 
observe,  what  I  have  already  explained,  that  holiness  is 
not  a  created  faculty  of  the  mind  produced  by  natural 
power,  but  the  choice  or  disposition  toward  that  which 
is  morally  excellent.  Sin  is  the  direct  opposite  disposi- 
tion. Holiness  consequently  is  not  produced  by,  what  we 
commonly  mean  bv,  infusion.  God  did  not  infuse  a  holy 

3K 


442 

nature  into  Adam  at  creation;  neither  does  he  mi'use  hoU- 
ness  in  regeneration.  It  would  be  naturally  impossible 
for  him  to  do  it.  God  can  be  the  moral  author  of  holi- 
ness; so  Satan  can  be  the  author  o{  sm.  Holiness  consist- 
ing in  the  choice  of  the  heart,  it  must  be  produced  by 
motives.  God  by  furnishing  Adam  with  proper  motives 
to  holiness,  or  that  which  is  morally  right,  became  the 
author  of  holiness  in  Adam;  and  hence  it  is  proper  to  say 
that  God  created  him  holy  or  in  his  own  image;  not  that 
he  really  created  him  so,  but  as  soon  as  Adam  became 
capable  of  moral  action,  or  rather  possessed  of  moral 
powers,  which  was  as  soon  as  he  was  created  a  living 
soul,  God  by  giving  him  suitable  views  of  his  divine 
glory  and  excellence  persuaded  him,  and  he  made  choice 
of  that  which  was  really  good;  so  that  the  first  action  of 
the  soul  of  Adam  was  holy. 

So  we  must  understand  the  scriptures  when  they  speak 
of  regeneration  as  a  work  of  creation:  "  created  in  righte- 
"  ousness  and  true  holiness."  In  a  similar  passage  Paul 
seems  to  have  my  ideas  exactly  where  he  says  (Col.  3. 10.) 
"  and  have  put  on  the  new  man  which  is  renewed  in 
*'  knowledge  after  the  image  of  him  that  created  him." 
Knowledge  is  the  only  channel  through  which  a  motive 
can  be  presented  to  the  mind;  and  it  is  really  in,  or  by 
knowledge,  a  man  who  is  a  sinner  can  be  made  new  or 
possess  a  new  disposition.  He  must  in  the  first  place  have 
new  discoveries  which  he  had  not  before;  and  having 
got  new  discoveries  he  is  presented  with  new  objects 
which  attract  the  mind;  the  objects  are  God's  moral 
image;  consequently  the  man  is  transformed  into  the 
same  likeness,  and  the  same  mind  is  formed  in  him  as 
also  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

We  have  the  same  idea  held  up  still  more  fully  in  Eph. 
3.  18.  Speaking  of  the  gentiles  in  a  state  of  nature, 
•'  having  (says  the  apostle)  the  understanding  darkened, 
"  being  alienated  from  the  life  of  God  fthat  Js  from  holi- 


443 

•  iicss)  through  the  it^norancc  that  is  in  thcni,  because 
"  ol  the  Ijlinchiess  of  their  heart."  This  certainly  shows 
that  the  want  of  proper  views  of  holiness,  and  consequently 
the  want  of  proper  motives  to  holiness,  is  the  cause  of 
'*  their  i^iving  themselves  over  (v.  19.)  unto  h^scivious- 
"  ness  (giving  themselves  is  choosing,  or  wilfully  dcvot- 
*'  ing)  to  work  all  uneleanness  with  greediness."  v.  20. 
"  But  ye  have  not  so  learned  Christ;"  that  is,  Christ 
hath  not  so  taught  you,  v.  21.  "if  so  be  that  ye  have 
"  heard  him  (that  is  believed  on  him,  Rom.  10.  17.)  and 
"  (consequently)  have  been  taught  by  him  (or  in  him)  as 
"  the  truth  is  in  (or  by)  Jesus."  Thus  divine  views  arc- 
given  by  Christ  to  belic\  ers  by  which  they  are  disposed 
v.  22.  "  to  j)ut  off"  concerning  the  former  conversation 
*'  the  old  man  which  is  corrupt  according  to  the  deceitful 
"  lusts."  Lust  is  the  inclination.  When  the  person  inte- 
rested in  Christ  and  under  his  divine  teaching  gets  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  views  his  divine  glory  and  excel- 
lence, the  old  state  of  the  mind  which  was  wicked  incon- 
sequence of  false  or  deceitful  dispositions  produced  by 
falsehood  is  put  off;  that  is,  v.  23.  they  are  renewed  in 
the  spirit  of  their  mind.  They  have  a  new  temper  or 
disposition,  influenced  by  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  pre- 
senting them  with  new  motives;  which  is,  v.  24.  "  to 
"  put  on  the  new  man  which  (drawn)  after  God  (as  the 
"  glorious  attracting  motive)  is  (thus)  created  in  righte- 
"  ousness  and  true  holiness." 

When  God  shines  into  the  heart,  and  gives  the  know 
ledge  of  his  glory,  "  we  then  with  open  face  beholding 
''  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image 
*'  from  glory  to  glory;"  influenced  and  attracted  by  the 
glorv  of  God,  we  are  brought  to  possess  the  same  glory 
or  likeness,  which  is  done  by  the  Spirit  of  God  through 
the  glass  of  the  gospel  manifesting  the  glorious  excellence 
«f  God  unto  us. 

These  passages,  with  many  which  might  be  quoted, 
certainly    show  what   holiness  is;    how   regeneration  i*^- 


444 

performed  in  us;  and  the  nature  of  regeneration  and  sanc- 
tification.  It  is  consequently  evident  from  what  has  been 
said,  that  holiness  in  Adam  and  in  the  angels  took  place 
the  same  way;  even  by  manifestations  of  the  divine  ex- 
cellence made  unto  them  to  influence  them  to  a  holy 
choice  or  disposition;  and  that  this  disposition  could  not 
be  created  by  an  act  of  almighty  power,  nor  yet  infused 
by  the  divine  agency  directly  upon  the  mind,  but  only  by 
such  discoveries  to  the  rational  mind  as  would  morally  in- 
fluence the  creature  to  choose  and  delight  in  that  which  is 
good. 

It  is  also  to  be  observed,  that  sin  or  unholiness  must 
take  place  on  the  very  same  principles;  it  being  a  disposi- 
tion of  the  mind  to  that  which  is  morally  wrong.  In  order 
to  sin,  God  must  withdraw  from  the  rational  mind  his 
divine  perfection,  which  will  immediately  leave  the  crea- 
ture in  darkness  as  to  any  thing  that  is  good;  and  evil 
motives  through  falsehood  representing  objects  under 
false  colours  crowding  on  the  soul  will  immediately  seduce 
and  draw  the  soul  to  choose  and  delight  in  that  which  is 
evil.  But  for  more  on  this  subject,  I  must  refer  my  reader 
to  what  I  have  said  in  a  former  treatise.         ^ 

But  before  I  am  ready  to  communicate  my  ideas  clearly 
on  the  main  subject  in  this  chapter,  I  must  refresh  m} 
reader's  memory  with  another  particular. 

Agreeably  to  the  explanation  above,  we  say  God  made 
Adam  holy.  But  it  would  require  tlie  same  manifesta- 
tions of  God's  glory  to  keep  Adam  or  any  creature  holy, 
which  made  him  so  at  first.  The  moment  those  manifes- 
tations ceased,  the  creature  would  fall  from  God.  For 
none  but  God  can  give  them.  This,  by  the  by,  shows  us 
how  much  we  are  dependent  on  God  for  every  thing  that 
is  truly  good;  and  how  wretched  must  every  creature  be 
without  him. 

When  God  entered  into  a  covenant  with  Adam  and  his 
posterity  in  him  as  their  federal  head,  he  covenanted  to 


445 

continue  those  divine  communications  uith  him  ibr  cvci 
and  protect  him  from  being  overcome  by  false  motives; 
the  consequence  of  which  would  have  been,  Adam  would 
have  been  established  in  holiness  for  ever,  in  a  perfect 
conformity  to  the  law  of  God.  1  have  argued  this  point 
at  length  in  its  proper  place.  1  will  just  add  here  that  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  the  moral  law  to  be  the 
condition  of  that  covenant  or  any  such  covenant;  for 
Adam  must  in  justice  be  left  to  himself  in  this  important 
article,  or  it  would  have  been  no  trial.  If  God  had  made 
l)erfect  obedience  to  the  moral  law  die  test  in  the  cove- 
nant, he  must  either  have  withdrawn  those  manifestations 
from  Adam,  or  continued  them  with  him;  had  lie  con- 
tinued them  it  would  have  been  no  trial;  for  he  must 
have  stood;  and  it  would  have  been  morally  impossible 
for  him  to  have  fallen;  had  he  withdrawn  them  he  must 
have  been  immediately  left  in  moral  darkness;  and  con- 
sequently would  have  instantly  fallen  of  course.  So  that 
no  trial  could  have  been  in  the  case;  and  consequently  no 
covenant  could  possibly  be  made  on  such  terms.  But  the 
promise  of  the  covenant  was,  as  I  have  said,  to  continue 
Adam  in  a  state  of  holiness  and  consequently  happiness 
for  ever  on  the  gracious  condition  that  he  would  for  such 
a  given  time  keep  from  eating  of  the  forbidden  fruit. 
This  was  not  a  moral  but  a  positive  precept;  the  promise 
on  the  one  hand  was  a  sufficient  motive  to  allure;  and  his 
fears  were  sufficiently  addressed  on  the  other  by  that 
awful  penalty:  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt 
•'  surely  die."  With  this  Adam  Mas  left  to  himself  as  a 
proper  trial  of  his  obedience  to  a  positive  precept  as  easy 
to  keep  as  easy  could  be.  The  threatening  was  of  this 
nature,  that  if  Adam  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  God 
would  instantly  withdraw  his  divine  manifestations  from 
him,  and  leave  him  in  moral  darkness.  Death  would  be  the 
immediate  consequence  in  all  its  dreadful  forms.  Also  all 
his  posterity  was  to  be  left  in  the  same  unhappy  situn 


446 

tion.  Now  how  did  the  matter  go?  Adam  felL  Conse- 
quently he  and  all  his  posterity  fell  under  the  dreadful 
curse  of  being  deserted  of  God,  and  never  to  have  one 
single  gleam  of  divine  light  to  dawn  upon  them  to  eter- 
nity. Thus  all  the  children  of  Adam  are  born  into  the 
world  under  that  curse,  and  consequently  necessarily,  or 
justly,  are  deprived  of  any  motives  to  holiness;  and  not 
one  of  them  ever  is,  or  ever  can  be,  holy  until  he  is  in- 
terested in  the  covenant  of  grace. 

Now  I  have  the  way  clear  to  point  out  to  you  the 
ground  of  a  believer's  sanctification  and  glory.  Christ  by 
his  death  made  an  atonement  in  the  room  of  his  people, 
and  cancelled  all  the  guilt  that  lay  against  them  on  every 
hand  in  consequence  of  the  fall.  In  consequence  of 
which  God  promised  in  covenant,  to  restore  those  pre- 
cious divine  manifestations  of  his  glory.  This  he  could 
do  consistent  with  all  his  perfections  when  the  guilt  of  his 
people  was  removed.  This  was  a  second  trial  for  their 
establishment  in  holiness  and  happiness,  by  his  covenant 
engagements  to  reveal  his  moral  excellence  to  the  mind, 
and  never  to  withdraw  his  divine  glory  from  them.  These 
covenant  engagements  were  on  the  honourable  condi- 
tions, that  Christ  the  second  Adam,  who  became  the 
sponsor  for  his  people,  would  die  in  their  room  and  so 
satisfy  the  demands  of  justice.  Jesus  undertook  the 
dreadful  work  and  completely  performed  the  whole.  He 
waded  through  blood  and  death;  and  by  the  dignity  of 
his  glorious  person,  being  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  who 
thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  in  a  suitable 
time  suffered  the  whole  weight  of  infinite  vengeance, 
which  would  have  crushed  his  elect  to  eternity.  No 
wonder  the  withdrawment  of  God's  divine  glory  and  ex- 
cellence overwhelms  the  poor  dependent  creature  in  dark- 
ness, when  it  made  the  glorious  man  Christ  Jesus,  sup- 
ported by  his  divinity,  to  cry  in  agony  and  excruciating 
horror,    *'  My  God!  My  God!  why  hast  thou  forsaken 


447 

^  mc?"  This  appears  to  be  the  penalt}'  he  had  to  ]>ear. 
It  is  probal)lc  thib  awful  time  of  desertion  bet^aii  at  the 
sixth  hour,  when  the  light  of  the  sun  was  withdrawn, 
and  eontinued  until  he  said,  "  It  is  fniishcd,"  whieh  was 
about  the  ninth  hour;  three  hours  in  all  of  dreadful  snf- 
fering.  He  had  hung  three  hours  on  the  cross  before  the 
darkness  took  place.  He  pronounced  the  work  fuiished, 
very  probably,  when  he  got  relief  by  the  return  of  the 
glory  of  his  Father,  and  just  as  he  submitted  to  tempo- 
ral death;  which  it  is  thought,  and  very  probably,  was 
not  occasioned  by  his  other  sufferings,  for  they  appear  to 
be  o^  er;  and  it  is  very  evident,  from  the  thieves  not  dy- 
ing till  their  legs  were  broken,  and  from  Pilate's  marvel- 
ling that  he  was  dead  so  soon,  that  he  voluntarily  gave  up 
his  life,  by  the  power  of  his  divinity  commanding  his 
spirit  to  quit  his  body,  \\hich  immediately  became  dead. 

Justice  now  lets  go  its  angry  hold;  the  debt  was  paid, 
and  the  guilty  sinner  completely  ransomed  from  death.  In 
a  proper  time  he  rose  from  the  dead  as  a  pledge  of  the 
resurrection  of  his  people  and  as  a  divine  testimony  of 
the  validity  of  his  sufferings.  And  now  the  covenant  is 
confirmed  foi*  ever,  never  to  be  forgotten.  God  is  now  well 
pleased,  and  the  sinner  delivered  from  the  curse,  and 
made  an  heir  in  Christ  of  the  blessings  of  the  covenant. 
And  now  we  are  to  remember  that  as  the  covenant  with 
Adam  insured,  provided  the  condition  had  been  fulfilled, 
the  constant  manifestations  of  God's  excellence  and  glory, 
so  in  this  covenant,  he  promises  the  same  thing  as  the 
radical  blessing,  on  the  condition  the  sinner  can  be 
brought  from  under  the  curse  of  the  first  co\enant.  This 
is  now  done,  and  consequently  the  way  is  opened  for  the 
lost  creature  to  be  completely  restored. 

We  have  shown  already  how  the  sinner  becomes  per- 
sonally interested  in  the  covenant  of  grace  even  by  faidi. 
Consequently  when  the  sinner  accepts  the  offers  of  tlie 
gospel,  the  atonement  of  Clirist  is  counted  to  him  and  he 


448 

is  thereby  taken  from  under  the  penalty  of  the  firsi  co- 
venant, and  entitled  by  covenant  proiuiies  to  the  bless- 
ings of  the  covenant  of  grace.  God  in  truth  and  faithful- 
ness sends  his  Spirit  to  manifest  his  glory  to  the  believer's 
soul.  The  soul,  now  furnished  with  new  motives  which 
it  never  had  before  since  it  had  lost  them  in  Adam,  is 
immediately  drawn  towards  God,  and  feels  earnest  de- 
sires after  a  conformity  to  his  image. 

These  discoveries  of  God  and  holiness,  according  to 
the  covenant,  are  never  to  be  finally  withdrawn,  but  to  be- 
come greater  and  greater,  until  the  believer  is  perfectly 
conformed  to  God,  and  made  completely  holy.  Before 
the  believer  could  fall  finally  away,  God  must  withdraw 
these  coinmimications  of  himself  from  the  soul;  if  this 
was  done,  a  fall  would  take  place  immediately,  as  it  did 
when  Adam  eat  the  forbidden  fruit.  But  how  can  this 
ever  take  place,  when  the  covenant  is  confirmed,  never 
to  be  broken?  Before  God  could  withdraw  the  divine  mo- 
tives to  holiness  from  the  believer,  he  must  first  break 
his  covenant,  and  forfeit  his  truth  and  faithfulness.  Will 
God  ever  do  so?  No:  he  declares  "  that  the  mountains 
"  may  depart  and  the  hills  be  removed,  but  my  kindness 
"  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  the  covenant 
*'  of  my  peace  be  removed,  saith  the  Lord  who  hath 
*'  mercy  on  thee." 

Not  only  so  but  he  would  curse  a  soul  on  whom  is  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  and  who  has  made  a  full  atone- 
ment for  all  his  transgressions;  can  God  curse  where 
there  is  no  guilt? 

He  would  cause  a  soul  to  die  for  whom  Christ  was  a 
surety.  Is  not  Christ  a  sufficient  surety?  But  why  should 
we  think  such  things?  Surely  those  who  indulge  such 
notions  must  have  very  low  conceptions  of  the  gospel 
plan. 

Why  God  does  not  make  a  full  manifestation  of  him- 
self immediately  to  the  believer  and  so  perfectly  sanctify 


449 

iiim  at  once  is  a  question  I  do  not  wait  to  answer  here. 
But  wliy  sliould  we  complain?  he  has  promised  he  will 
do  it  in  a  proper  time.  \\'hcn  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is 
then  we  shall  he  like  him. 

This  is  what  I  concei\e  to  be  the  covenant  grounds  of 
a  believer's  sanctification;  and  certainly  I  think  it  much 
more  like  the  doctrine  of  the  bible,  than  to  talk  of  the 
active  obedience  of  Christ  being  imputed  to  purchase  it, 
and  entitle  us  to  it.  It  is  easier  understood  on  this  plan, 
than  to  talk  of  any  particular  purchase  respecting  it,  only 
that  grand  purchase  which  bought  us  with  a  price,  even 
the  precious  blood  of  Christ  by  which  we,  in  our  glorious 
Surety,  satisfied  the  justice  of  God,  cancelled  all  our 
guilt,  and  was  brought  from  under  the  first  covenant,  and 
into  the  covenant  of  grace.  This  was  all  the  purchase 
there  was  any  need  for,  to  entitle  us  to  every  blessing  in 
this  covenant.  God  gave  his  sanctifying  grace  to  us  ac- 
cording as  he  has  covenanted  to  do  on  these  conditions. 
But  O  what  love  and  gratitude  do  \\'e  owe  our  glorious 
God  for  such  a  covenant!  and  what  love  do  we  owe  our 
dear  Redeemer,  who  by  the  agonies  of  his  own  death 
has  brought  us  into  covenant  with  God  again. 

And  }  et  we  can  hardly  trust  him,  notwithstanding  all. 
We  arc  afraid  of  guilt  when  we  have  none.  We  are 
afraid  of  Satan  when  he  is  dragged  at  our  Surety's  chariot 
wheels.  Wc  arc  afraid  of  every  thing,  when  every  thing 
is  sure.  O  my  dear  fellow  christians,  let  us  be  strong  in 
the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of  his  might;  let  us  try  and 
think  something,  say  something,  hope  something  and 
c\cn  do  something  that  will  be  an  honour  to  our  Lord 
and  Master. 

3  L 


550 


CHAPTER  V. 


ISome  texts  explained,  and  some  common  plirases  in 
divinity  relating  to  our  sanctification. 

I  CANNOT  dismiss  this  subject,  until  I  explain  some 
very  interesting  points  relative  to  our  sanctification  which 
are  involved  in  it,  and  which  I  fear  are  not  well  under- 
stood by  many  of  my  readers.  It  is  not  best  to  have  certain 
phrases  in  divinity,  which  we  borrow,  even  from  certain 
texts  of  scripture,  or  from  the  tradition  of  the  fathers; 
and  at  the  same  time  have  no  digested  ideas,  and  know  not 
what  we  say,  or  whereof  we  affirm.  On  the  principles  I  have 
explained  above,  relative  to  our  sanctification,  I  proceed 
to  explain  some  texts  in  the  bible,  and  some  common 
phrases  in  divinity  which  are  not  easily  understood,  but 
on  the  principles  which  I  have  laid  down. 

1.  "  Christ  dwells  in  our  hearts."  When  the  question  is 
put  to  us,  how  does  he  dwell  in  our  hearts?  tiie  answer 
is  sometimes,  "  by  faith;"  and  again  we  say,  "  by  his 
^'  Spirit,"  &;c.  All  this  is  true,  and  scriptural.  But  now 
the  question  is,  what  do  we  mean  by  these  expressions? 
Here  the  mist  begins  to  rise;  and  we  have  but  confused 
ideas  ourselves,  and  we  can  give  nothing  but  confusion 
to  others.  But  I  answer: 

Christ  does  dwell  in  the  believer's  heart.  Eph.  3.  17. 
The  apostle  seems  always  to  take  care  when  he  is  speak- 
ing of  any  benefit  which  we  receive  of  a  saving  nature, 
to  m.cntion  faith  as  the  condition  of  it.  Christ  in  the  be- 
liever's heart  is  the  vital  principle  of  holiness;  and  our 
union  v.  ith  liim,  and  his  union  with  us,  is  our  hope  of 
glory.  (Col.  1.  27.)  And  it  is  all  by  faith,  which  is  the 
only  condition  of  the  gospel.    1.  Federally,' as  our  cove- 


451 

nant  head,  iaith  unites  us  to  Christ  by  the  terms  of  the 
covenant.  Justice  looking  upon  the  surety  and  tlie  prin- 
cipal as  one  andthe  same  person,  what  the  one  does  the 
other  is  viewed  l)y  the  law  as  doinj^;  hence  they  are  con- 
solidated, or  incorporated  legally,  as  hut  one  body.  Hence 
Christ  became  guilty  through  the  sinner,  the  sinner  be- 
ing legally  in  him,  and  consequently  the  sinner  died  or 
made  the  lesral  atonement  when  Christ  died  as  his  surety. 
On  this  very  principle  Paul  says,  "  I  am  crucified  with 
"  Christ,  therefore,  I  live,"  (which  is  the  proper  transla- 
tion.  The  word  nevertheless  very  unhappily  mars  and 
spoils  the  beauty  and  the  sense  of  the  verse.) 

2.  After  the  sinner  had  in  Christ  completely  atoned  for 
his  guilt,  then  he  was  no  longer  liable  to  death;  and  his 
surety  dying  as  the  head  of  another  covenant,  and  fulfilling 
the  condition  of  that  covenant,  he  insured  to  the  sinner 
a  complete  interest  in  the  promises  of  that  covenant. 
The  law  having  considered  the  sinner  in  Christ  before 
his  death  to  make  him  guilty,  so  now  after  his  death  it 
views  Christ  in  the  sinner.  So  that  as  the  sinner  in  Christ 
made  him  suffer,  now  Christ  with  his  full  atonement  con- 
sidered in  the  sinner,  the  sinner  is  legally  delivered  from 
the  curse,  and  consequently  justified  through  the  atone- 
ment of  his  surety  who  is  now  viewed  in  him,  and  has 
fulfilled  the  condiiion  of  the  new  covenant.  The  believer 
is  therefore  entitled  to  all  the  promises  contained  in  the 
covenant  of  grace,  which  insures  justification  and  sancti- 
fication  and  eternal  glory.  (Heb.  10.  16,  17.  John  14.  2, 
3.)  Thus  "  Christ  in  us  is  the  hope  of  glory"  both  as  to 
happiness  and  sanctification. 

3.  By  faith  the  sinner  is  interested  in  Christ's  atone- 
ment, and  consequently  in  the  covenant  of  grace  \\\\\c\\ 
msures  sanctification.  Thus  Christ  dwells  in  us  by  faith, 
not  only  for  justification  as  we  explained  above,  but  also 
for  sanctification  as  we  shall  now  explani.  1.  Not  by  the 
imputation  of  his  active  obedience;  this  is  too  important 


452 

a  point  of  doctrine  to  be  established  with  no  better  au- 
thority than  the  mere  notions  and  commandments  of  men. 
I  have  seriously  inquired  into  the  doctrine  of  Christ's 
active  obedience,  i  was  induced  to  it,  not  by  party  spirit, 
nor  yet  through  a  vain  expectation  of  being  the  head  of 
a  party,  nor  yet  to  revive  an  old  exploded  opinion  which 
has  been  di'iven  out  of  the  church  a  hundred  years  ago. 
I  love  to  agree  with  every  man  as  far  as  I  can.  I  consci- 
entiously believe  I  would  rather  follow,  than  lead.  But  I 
cannot  follow  when  I  think  I  am  led  wrong.  But  to  re* 
turn  to  my  subject. 

2.  Christ  dwells  in  the  heart  when  his  image  is  there. 
This  is  a  metaphor,  the  word  Christ  put  for  his  image 
or  likeness.  The  apostle  has  many  such  expressions: 
"  My  little  children  of  whom  I  travail  in  birth  again  till 
"  Christ  be  formed  in  you,"  till  you  be  fully  conformed 
to  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  "  For  me  to  live  is  Christ. " 
But  the  passage  (Eph.  3.)  explains  itself,  (v.  14.)  Paul  prays 
for  the  Ephesians,  "  that  he  would  grant  you,  (says  he 
"  V.  16.)  according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory,  to  be 
"  strengthened  with  might  bv  the  Spirit,  in  the  inner 
*'  man."  Christ's  glory  is  the  brightness  of  his  Father's 
glory,  which  shines  in  him,  even  the  fulness  of  the  God- 
head. Every  perfection  of  the  deity  exhibited  in  Christ  as 
a  mediator  is  the  riches,  or  fulness  of  his  glory.  It  is 
according  to  this,  that  his  people  are  strengthened  in 
every  grace,  by  the  Spirit  in  the  heart  or  inner  man; 
and  in  being  conformed  to  this  glory  of  Christ,  believers 
(v.  17.)  possess  Christ  in  their  hearts,  and  all  in  conse- 
quence of  their  interest  in  him  by  faith;  and  he  farther 
prays,  on  the  same  principles,  that  in  consequence  of 
their  being  firmly  attached  to,  and  delighting  in  the 
glory  of  Christ,  and  cordially  attracted  to  his  glorious 
image  they  might  go  on  to  perfection  in  their  conformity 
to  him;  being  enabled  (v.  18.)  to  comprehend,  or  fully 
to  discover  the  infinite  extent  of  the  love  and  loveliness 


453 

of  Christ,  (v.  19.)  until  at  Icngtli  they  be  filled  with  ali 
the  Tuhiess  of  God,  that  is  entirely  eonformed  to  his 
image;  and  so  Christ  would  dwell  in  them  more  and 
more  in  eonscquence  ol'  their  interest  in  him  by  faith. 
To  express  it  more  l)riefly.  By  faith  we  are  through 
Christ  interested  in  the  promises  of  the  covenant,  and 
consequently  receive  manifestations  of  the  divine  glory; 
and  we  are  there!)}-  more  and  more  formed  in  the  image 
of  Christ  and  by  his  holy  image  Christ  dwells  in  us. 

^^'e  have  this  idea  also  in  Rom.  13.  14.  '*  But  put  ye 
"  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  make  no  provision  for 
"  the  flesh  to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereof;"  and  in  v.  12.  the 
same  idea  is  represented  by  casting  off  the  works  of 
darkness  and  putting  on  the  armour  of  light. 

And  in  2  Cor.  13.  5.  Paul  says,  *'  Know  ye  not  that 
"  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be  reprobates?" 

2.  Christ  is  said  to  dwell  in  our  hearts  by  his  Spirit. 
This  is  fre(|uently  represented  to  us  in  the  scriptures; 
and  the  idea  is,  that  the  Spirit  of  God,  having  persuaded 
the  sinner  to  believe  in  Christ,  is  the  eflicient  cause  of 
the  union  actually  taking  place  betwixt  Christ  and  the 
sinner,  according  to  the  gospel.  But  especially  the  Spirit 
is  the  eflicient  cause  of  the  holy  image  of  Christ  being 
formed  in  the  heart,  and  of  carrying  on  a  sanctifying 
work,  so  that  the  believer  grows  in  conformity  to  the 
divine  will.  This  he  does  by  manifesting  Christ  in  all  liis 
divine  excellence  to  the  believer;  which,  as  I  have  already 
shown,  has  a  transforming  eflfect,  in  changing  the  heart 
into  the  same  image;  and  as  the  Spirit  continues  and  in- 
creases his  divine  illuminations,  so  the  believer  grows  in 
sanctification  until  he  becomes  a  perfect  man  in  Christ, 
or  Christ  in  his  iniagc  becomes  perfect  in  him.  (John  16. 
8—15.  2  Cor.  3.  18.) 

3.  Christ  dwells  in  us  by  his  word;  because  the  word 
is  the  particular  means  which  the  Spirit  of  Christ  makes 
use  of  to  reveal  his  divine  truths  to  his  people,  by  which 


454 

he  makes  himself  known  unto  them,  that  the}'  may  be 
restored  to  hohness  as  has  been  already  explamed:  "  Sanc- 
''  tify  them  through  thy  truth;  thy  word  is  truth."  Thus 
they  are  begotten  by  the  gospel;  and  Christ  is  formed  in 
them,  by  the  saving  effects  of  the  gospel  on  their  hearts 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  (John  15.  3 — 7.) 

4.  We  often  speak  of  God  giving  us  strength,  helping, 
assisting  and  giving  us  grace,  &c.  All  such  phrases  are  of 
equal  import.  But  we  do  not  mean  natural  strength,  help  or 
assistance ;  but  that  he  does  it  all  by  light  or  motives, 
argument  and  persuasion.  When  God  gives  me  strength 
to  exercise  faith,  he  gives  me  a  manifestation  of  his  truth 
and  faithfulness  in  his  promises,  which  induces  me  to 
put  my  trust  in  him.  When  he  gives  me  strength  or 
grace  to  love  him,  he  reveals  his  divine  beauty  and  ex- 
cellencies to  me,  and  so  charms  my  heart  and  engrosses 
my  affections.  When  he  enables  me  to  repent  or  gives 
me  repentance,  he  gives  mc  a  view  of  his  holy  nacure 
and  his  holy  law,  and  I  am  allured  and  delighted  with 
divine  excellence,  and  I  hate  my  sin  and  loathe  myself  for 
it,  and  long  and  endeavour  to  guard  against  it  and  to 
live  more  hoi}'.  Thus  when  he  strengthens,  assists  or 
gives  any  grace,  he  does  it  by  his  Spirit  and  word,  giv- 
ing some  manifestations  which  operate  on  me  as  motives 
to  rouse  or  excite  me  to  action,  or  to  whatever  thing  the 
argument  tends.  W^e  always  act  freely  by  our  own  natu- 
ral strength,  and  according  to  the  choice  we  freely  make 
under  divine  influence,  through  divine  manifestations, 
when  we  get  grace  and  strength  from  God.  When  Christ 
is  the  wisdom  of  God,  then  he  becomes  the  power  of 
God.  Wlien  he  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  then  he  is  also 
made  righteousness  and  sanctification  to  us.  When  he 
draws  or  allures  us,  we  run  after  him.  We  are  drawn 
with  the  cords  of  love,  allured  and  won  over,  when  we 
are  moved  from  a  view  of  divine  glory,  mercy  and  ex- 
cellence. We  are  drawn  with  the  bands  of  a  man,  when 


455 

we  are  dealt  with  like  rational  creatures,  capable  of 
choice,  and  so  povverl'ully  argued  with,  that  we  arc-  under 
a  moral  necessity  to  comply. 

5.  It  is  usual  to  say,  Christ  has  purchased  every  blessing 
for  his  people,  that  he  purchased  the  gift  of  the  Spirit, 
and  all  the  graces  and  operations  of  the  Spirit,  he.  The 
scriptures  give  those  ideas,  and  we  ought  with  due  gra- 
titude and  humility  to  be  ready  to  acknowledge  our  en. 
tire  dependence  on  Christ  for  every  blessing  we  enjoy  as 
the  purchase  of  his  precious  blood. 

Yet  if  we  think  that  Christ  purchased  diose  blessings 
directly,  we  perhaps  will  not  be  correct  in  our  ideas. 
Christ  purchased  nothing  directly  but  pardon;  that  is  to 
say,  he  laid  down  his  life  particularly  and  especially  to 
answer  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law.  He  offered  himself 
a  sacrifice,  purely  to  satisfy  justice  and  procure  our  par- 
don, by  removing  our  guilt  and  constituting  us  righte- 
ous; and  consequently  our  justification  was  the  direct 
object  of  the  great  atonement.  Our  sanctification  and 
confirmation  in  grace  and  all  things  in  which  they  con- 
sist, and  eternal  glory,  the  final  issue  of  our  salvation, 
were  only  indirectly  purchased  by  Christ.  Those  com- 
mon blessings  of  the  gospel  were,  as  we  may  say,  conse- 
quential things,  necessarily  connected  with  the  atonement 
in  consequence  of  the  plan  on  which  the  atonement  was 
made  and  the  execution  of  that  plan.  Christ  suffered  nr> 
more  than  was  necessary  to  satisfy  justice  for  sin  and  to 
buy  our  pardon ;  neither  was  it  necessarj'  nor  was  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  do  more.  Justice  cannot  inflict  punish- 
ment where  there  is  no  guilt;  when  ever  the  guilt  of  sin 
was  atoned  for,  justice  could  inflict  no  longer;  tlie  suffer- 
ing must  immediately  come  to  a  close;  imy,  the  least 
degree  over  would  be  unjust.  So  it  must  follow,  that 
the  atonement  of  the  cross,  which  was  the  price  paid,  was 
for  sin,  and  for  sin  only;  so  pardon  was  the  only  blessing 
directly  purchased  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  all  othc 


456 

blessings  are  merely  consequential,  bestowed  on  the  plan 
of  the  new  covenant  in  consequence  of  our  interest  in  it 
by  faith. 

The  church  is  said  to  be  purchased.  (Acts  20.  28) 
The  people  of  God  are  said  to  be  purchased,'  ( I  Cor.  6. 
20.  and  7.  23.  1  Pet.  1.  18,  19.)  because  Christ  could 
not  have  a  church  or  people  without  paying  the  ransom 
for  them,  due  to  divine  justice  in  consequence  of  their 
guilt.  And  in  this  sense  they  are  his  redeemed  people. 
But  still  the  purchase  was  justification,  and  the  price  was 
his  precious  blood.  The  eternal  inheritance  of  the  saints 
is  called  the  purchased  possession,  (Eph.  1.  14.*)  be- 
cause justification  through  the  atonement  of  Christ  in- 
terests them  in  the  covenant  by  its  promises  according 
to  the  gospel  plan.  So  that  the  blessing  promised  is  only 
indirectly  purchased  through  the  direct  purchase  of  jus- 
tification, according  to  the  plan  on  which  the  purchase 
was  made. 

The  apostle,  in  the  9th  chap,  to  the  Hebrews,  verse  15, 
gives  us  this  very  idea:  "  He  is  the  Mediator  of  the  new 
"  testament,  that  by  means  of  death  for  the  redemption 
''  of  the  transgressions  under  the  first  testament,  they 
"  which  are  called  might  receive  the  promise  of  eternal 
"  inheritance."  I  will  give  the  following  paraphrase  on 
Rom.  5.  1,2:  Therefore,  in  consequence  of  Christ's  dying 
for  our  sins,  we  being  justified  by  faith  have  peace,  and 
are  brought  through  his  redemption  to  a  state  of  recon- 
ciliation with  God  as  the  purchase  of  his  death.  In  con- 
sequence of  this,  we  have  access,  are  introduced  into 
this  grace  promised  in  the  covenant  wherein  we  are  esta 

*  This  text  is  not  well  translated.  It  is  consequently  not  very  ea- 
sily understood.  The  true  translation  is  this,  "  Which  is  the  earnest, 
"  (or  so  much  in  hand)  of  our  inheritance  (or  estate)  which  eviden- 
"  ces  a  title  to  the  redemption  of  our  acquisition  (or  property  which 
<'  was  lost,  but  regained  by  the  purchase  of  Christ)  to  the  praise  (or 
'f'  advancement)  of  his  glory." 


457 

blished,  by  the  free  promise  and  grace  of  God,  and  we 
rejoice  in  tlic  hope  which  the  gosj)ci  gives  us  of  obtain- 
ing divine  manifestations  of  God's  glory  to  conform  us  to 
his  image,  and  fit  us  for  the  enjoyment  of  himself  for  ever. 

If  I  had  a  servant  in  prison,  who  could  not  be  libera- 
ted without  paying  a  ransom;  were  I  to  pay  the  ran- 
som, the  direct  purchase  would  ijc  his  freed(jm ;  for 
that,  and  for  that  only,  would  the  price  be  paid.  My  plan 
would  be  immaterial  as  to  the  purchase;  it  must  be  made, 
let  my  plan  be  wliat  it  would,  or  my  servant  must  lie  in 
prison;  but  it  would  deliver  him  from  his  imprisonment, 
let  me  use  him  as  I  saw  fit  afterwards.  My  plan  might 
be  to  nK:ke  him  a  merchant,  a  mechanic,  a  farmer  or 
any  thing  else.  I  do  not  directly  purchase  a  merchant,  or 
mechanic,  or  farmer;  I  only  purchase  freedom  for  a  poor 
prisoner,  and  afterwards,  in  pursuance  to  my  plan,  I  make 
him  what  I  designed  to  make  him.  In  this  case  his  free- 
dom was  the  only  thing  directly  purchased,  u  hich  would 
be  grace  indeed;  but  the  benefits  he  afterwards  enjoyed 
were  only  indirectly  purchased,  and  he  enjoyed  them  by 
my  own  good  will  without  any  direct  purchase.  Yet  every 
benefit  he  enjoyed,  he  ought  justly  to  esteem  as  an  in- 
direct purchase,  it  being  a  consequence  of  my  paying 
the  price  of  his  ffeecjom  on  the  plan  I  did,  which  intro- 
duced him  into  those  happy  circumstances. 

The  plan  of  God  appears  to  be  this.  God  ^\•as  deter- 
mined to  glorify  himself  in  the  salvation  of  a  number  of 
sinners  of  the  race  of  Adam.  They  were  held  fast  in 
strict  justice  under  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law.  The 
first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  bring  them  from  under  that 
penally.  The  penalty  was  death,  in  all  its  horrors.  God 
in  covenant  gave  a  number  of  those  unhappy  sinners  to 
Christ,  to  restore  to  a  state  of  holiness  and  glory,  on 
condition  that  he  would  suffer  death  for  them,  to  redeem 
them  from  the  curse  of  the  law;  which  would  open  the 
way  for  all   necessary  manifestations   of  God's   divine 

,3  M 


458 

excellence  and  glory,  to  induce  them  by  proper  motives 
to  holmess;  which  manitestations  were  forfeited  by  the 
breach  of  the  first  covenant,  and  which  forfeiture  must  be 
rejiioved  before  they  could  be  granted  again.  If  Jesus 
Christ  would  pay  tlie  price  of  their  redemption,  God  the 
Father  promised  that  he,  dealing' with  them  as  moral 
ae'cnts,  would  draw  everv  one  to  him  and  make  them 
willing  to  submit  to  the  offers  of  his  righteousness  for 
their  justification;  so  that  none  of  ail  whom  he  had  given 
him  should  be  lost  for  want  of  faith. 

The  second  person  in  the  glorious  trinity  consented 
and  undertook  the  awful  work.  He  came;  he  died;  and 
by  death  redeemed  his  people  from  eternal  ruin.  The 
covenant  was  thus  confirmed  for  ever;  the  conditions 
fulfilled;  the  price  paid;  the  penalty  endured,  and  all 
things  made  ready  to  prosecute  the  glorious  plan  of  re- 
storing the  lost  sinner  to  a  state  of  holiness,  to  fit  him  for 
eternal  happiness. 

Sinners  are  called  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
that  they  may  be  personally  interested  in  the  wonderful 
purchase  of  Christ,  as  rational  creatures  to  be  governed 
on  moral  principles.  It  appears  evident  from  the  divine 
conduct  with  his  creatures,  that  it  is  necessary  that  they 
give  their  consent  to  their  own  happiness,  and  if  they 
will  not  do  it  they  must  be  miserable.  Consent  to  misery 
or  punishment  for  sin  is  not  necessary  or  expected,  but 
to  happiness  it  is,  and  must  be;  for  the  Deity  himself 
cannot  make  an  intelligent  creature  happy  whether  he 
will  or  not. 

The  covenant  now  puts  on  a  new  style:  it  assumes  not 
only  the  name,  but  also  the  proper  nature  of  a  covenant 
of  grace.  It  has  a  most  gracious  condition;  attended, 
very  justly,  with  an  awful  denunciation,  if  the  condition 
is  not  complied  with:  salvation  on  the  one  hand,  and 
damnation  on  the  other.  The  condition  is  simply'  to  ac- 


159 

ccpt  of  the  rie^hteoiisncss  ol"  Ciuist.   Tliis  is  called  faith, 
or  believing. 

The  offer  of  the  gobpel  fincls  the  sinner  held  fast  hy 
the  covenant  of  works,  a  child  of  wrath  even  as  others: 
tells  him  his  awful  state,  and  tells  him  what  Christ  has 
done  to  procure  his  pardon;  and  calls  upon  him  imme- 
diately, on  the  spot,  before  he  nio\  cs  another  step,  even 
before  I)e  draws  another  breath,  to  come  to  Christ  for 
salvation.  The  gospel  ne\tr  tampers  with  a  sinner;  it  is 
in  solid  earnest;  it  knows  better  than  to  parley  about 
moralit}',  preparations,  and  all  the  various  duties  of  the 
hn\-.  Faith,  faith  is  what  it  requires,  and  nothing  but 
faith;  and  if  the  sinner  will  not  believe,  if  he  \\as  as  holy 
as  the  young  scribe  who  kept  ihe  law  from  his  childhood, 
it  will  pronounce  damnation  on  him  in  a  moment.  But  il 
the  sinner  believes,  the  gospel  will  then  make  him  both 
hear  and  feel  ^vhat  morality  is.  ^ 

*  It  is  in  vain  to  i)rcach  morality  to  a  sinner.  To  lic-cp  sinners 
playing  about  the  niornl  law,  tr)inp  'o  be  good  Ijciore  they  apply  to 
Christ,  is  wretched  divinity  indeed.  Such  sermons  may  perhups  gain 
some  applause,  and  perhaps  may  go  for  a  day's  work;  but  I  am  cer- 
tain they  never  will  gain  a  soul.  They  arc-as  bad  to  the  soul  as  poi- 
son is  to  the  body.  To  please  the  sinner  with  fine  heatlienish  ha- 
rangues on  the  duties  of  the  lav. ,  the  rules  of  moral  lionesty,  and  the 
fine  art  of  living  orderly,  before  he  is  redeemed  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  is  like  entertaining  a  culprit  with  diverting  stories  on  his  way 
to  the  gallows.  He  may  be  diverted,  it  is  true,  but  not  saved. 

There  is  no  possibility  for  a  sinner  to  be  sanctified  without  an  in- 
terest in  Christ  by  faith.  He  might  as  well  attempt  to  reconnoitre 
the  planets  hi  an  aii-  balloon  as  to  attempt  to  get  the  least  par- 
ticle of  true  holiness  without  faith.  Ciod  will  rot,  he  ought  not,  nay 
he  cannot,  grant  the  least  manifestation  oi'  his  holiness  to  the  soiil, 
until  tiie  sinner  is  actually  ransonuil  from  the  curse  of  the  broken 
covenant.  In  such  a  case,  he  is  not,  and  cannot  be  inclined  to  that 
whicji  is  good.  Let  holiness  be  ever  so  excellent  in  its  nature,  you 
may  discant  upon  the  beauties  of  moral  virtue  till  you  wear  out  your 
pulpit  and  your  lungs  and  the  sinnei's  patience  into  the  bargain,  he 
cannot  discern  it,  it  is  all  foolishness  unto  him.  The  curse  of  the 
broken  covenant  is  upon  hin\.  and  you  catmol  take  it  off.  He  must 


460 

The  covenant  of  grace  is  so  planned,  that  the  condition 
of  it,  when  complied  with,  by  interesting  the  sinner  in 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  delivers  him  from  the  power  of 
the  law  as  a  covenant;  and  the  very  same  thing  which 
brings  him  from  under  the  covenant  of  works,  brings 
him  into  the  covenant  of  grace.  Faith  is  the  condition  of 
coming  from  under  the  law,  because  it  receives  the 
atonement  which  it  requires;  consequently  the  law  lets 
the  sinner  go,  having  no  claim  against  him.  But  faith  is 
also  the  condition  of  his  interest  in  the  covenant  of  grace; 
because  the  atonement  which  it  receives,  was  made  on 
the  plan  of  the  promises  being  made  sure  to  believers  on 
the  very  condition  of  the  atonement:  so  that  the  sinner, 
by  the  simple  act  of  receiving  the  ransom,  not  only  is 
delivered  from  the  hold  of  the  covenant  of  works,  but 
also  lays  hold  of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

But  the  most  refined  and  accurate  idea  of  this  matter 
is  this:  The  covenant  of  works  and  the  covenant  of  re- 
demption, as  to  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of  them,  are 
the  very  same  thing;  and  the  covenant  of  grace  introdu- 
ces the  sinner  into  the  happy  t  ffects  of  them  both,  con- 
nected together  in  one  general  plan.  It  is  true  they  differ 
in  many  important  circumstances;  but  they  agree  in  the 
grand  design;  which  is,  the  confirmation  of  the  creature 
in  a  state  of  holiness  and  eternal  glory. 

They  differ,  I.  as  to  the  head  of  the  covenants:  the 
first,  Adam;  the  second,  Christ.  2.  As  to  the  condition: 
the  first,  obedience  to  a  positive  prohibition;  and,  in  con- 
sequence of  failure  in  the  first,  which  involved  the  crea- 
ture in  guilt  which  the  first  Adam  was  unable  to  remove, 
the  second  was  suffering  the  penalty.  It  is  evident,  that  if 

apply  to  the  blood  of  Christ  the  first  thins^  he  does.  The  justice  of 
God  is  a  dreadful  thing,  it  locks  the  sinner  up  faster  than  with  ten 
thousand  burs  of  iron,  and  nothing  but  the  price  p.dd  on  the  cross 
can  bring  him  out  of  his  dungeon.  The  sinner  must  believe  or  he 
must  be  unholy  still. 


461 

Adam  had  been  able  to  make  atonement  for  himself  and 
for  his  posterity,  he  could  have  completely  insiiied  to 
himself  and  his  posterity  the  blessiiii^s  of  the  co\eiiant, 
even  after  he  fell.  But  he  was  not;  and  therefore  Christ 
covenanted  to  do  it  for  as  many  as  his  F.ither  chose  to 
give  him.  3.  Adam  represented  the  whole  human  race; 
Christ  represented  only  a  part.  4.  There"  was  a  penalty 
to  the  first  covenant,  because  Adam,  tlie  covenant  head, 
was  to  fulfil  the  condition  by  a  preceptive  obedience;  but 
there  was  not  penalty  to  the  second,  because  the  condi- 
tion of  the  second  was  to  fulfil  the  penalty  of  the  fir^t,  so 
that  there  ^\•as  no  place  for  a  penalt} ,  for  one  jxr.alty 
upon  another  is  not  lawful.  'J'he  condition  of  the  first 
covenant  was  obedience  to  a  law,  consecpiently  a  penalty 
necessarily  was  im])lied,  and  also  pronounced.  Had  Christ 
been  obliged  to  fulfil  the  precepts  of  the  law  as  a  condi 
tion  of  the  covenant,  there  must  have  been  a  penally;  for 
there  can  be  no  just  law  without  a  penalty,  either  expres- 
sed or  understood:  it  would  be  a  mere  nugatory  thing 
without  any  authority,  and  consequently  no  law.  But 
Christ  had  only  to  bear  the  penalty,  and  therefore  there 
could  be  no  penalty  to  the  new  covenant  annexed  to  the 
condirion  of  it.  5.  The  fulfilment  of  the  promises  of  the  ^ 
first  covenant  consisted,  not  in  the  sanctification  of  the 
creature,  because  he  had  never  sinned,  but  in  confirming 
him  in  holiness  and  happiness;  but  the  promises  cf  the 
second,  engage  sanctification  to  the  sinner,  who  is  polluted 
i]i  consequence  of  transgressing  the  first  covenant. 

But  although  these  are  very  importiuit  articles  of  dis- 
tinction, and  sufiicient  to  denotTiinate  ihem  as  two  cove- 
nants, yet  they  are  but  circumstantial  things.  The  grand 
end  of  both  is  the  same  as  to  those  who  are  saved,  viz. 
the  confirmation  of  the  creature  in  the  image  and  enjoy- 
ment  of  God. 

When  Adam  fell,  the  covenant  laid  a  penal  hold  on 
the  sinner.  Christ,  under  the  circumstances  of  the  new 


462 

covenant,  stept  into  Adam's  place  and  answered  these 
penal  demands;  and  when  the  sinner,  by  faith,  becomes 
interested  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  the  old  covenant,  in 
consequence  of  the  atonement,  lets  go  its  penal  hold  of 
the  sinner:  the  sinner  consequently  lays  hold  of  it,  and 
claims  by  a  just  title  the  fulfilment  of  all  its  promises; 
w^hich  promises  are  now  renewed  under  the  economy  of 
the  gospel  and  suited  to  the  work  of  sanctification. 

Upon  the  whole,  Christ  directly  purchased  a  deliver- 
ance from  the  penal  demands  of  the  law,  which  we  call 
pardon,  justification,  or  deliverance  from  guilt;  and  all  the 
blessings  of  holiness  are  the  effect  of  the  atonemenr,  and 
directly  in  consequence  of  the  gracious  promises  of  the 
covenant  of  grace. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  dreadful  effects  of  guilt,  and  the  blessed  effects  of 
atonement,  or  righteousness. 

Guilt  is  the  consequence  of  sin;  it  is  the  forfeiture 
of  happiness,  and  a  liability  to  punishment.  Guilt  totally 
seals  up  the  sinner  in  a  state  of  unholiness;  so  that  it  is 
impossible  for  a  sinner  to  be  made  holy,  while  the  least 
degree  of  guilt  remains  upon  him.  I  have  alread}'  shown 
that  holiness  is  a  free  act  of  the  will  or  disposition  of  the 
mind  towards  that  which  is  morally  good;  and  that  sin 
is  a  contrary  disposition.  1  have  also  shown  that  this  hph' 
disposition  is  in  consequence  of  suitable  motives  present- 
ed to  the  understandina:,  bv  which  the  mind  is  influenced 
to  choose  that  which  is  excellent;  and  that  in  order  to  this, 
it  is  necessary  that  God,  our  great  Creator,  possessed  in  an 
infinite  de^ee  of  everv  moral  excellence,  should  make  a 
suitable  manifestation  of  his  moral  excellence  and  glory 
to  the  creature,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  attract  his  heart 


463 

uiid  dispose  him  to  that  which  is  good;  and  tnat  without 
this  the  creature  will  be  left  to  falsehood  and  moral  dark- 
ness, (so  to  speak)  swayed  by  motives  to  evil;  tiie  awful 
and  perpetual  consequence  of  which  will  be  sin. 

It  was  entirely  an  act  of  goodness  in  God  to  give  to 
Adam,  after  he  had  created  him,  those  divir.e  rcvehilions 
of  his  glorious  excellencies,  to  engage  his  heart  unto  him- 
self and  so  to  make  him  a  holy  creature.  It  was  also  a 
great  display  of  goodness  to  enter  into  a  covenant  with 
him,  on  easy  conditions,  to  contiime  those  nuinitt  stations 
to  him  and  his  posterity  for  ever,  to  keep  him  in  a  holy 
and  happy  state.  It  is  too  nice  a  point  for  me  to  deter- 
mine the  moral  obligutions  of  the  Deity  to  grant  those 
motives  to  holiness  unto  his  creatures,  on  their  simple 
conformity  to  the  moral  law  without  any  covenant  en- 
gagements, neither  is  it  necessary  at  present.  But  this  is 
certain,  that  when  lie  was  pleased  to  enter  mto  a  cove- 
nant he  engaged  every  thing  necessary  to  the  complete 
happiness  of  his  creatures,  on  the  conditions  mentioned 
in  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis:  consequently,  a  fulfil- 
ment of  the  condition  must  have  intitled  to  the  fulfd- 
ment  of  the  promises;  but  to  be  guilty  must  have  a 
dreadful  e fleet. 

On  these  principles  the  cjuestion  is,  what  is  the  conse- 
(|uence  of  guilt?  The  answer  is  plain,  viz.  not  only  pun- 
isliment,  the  just  uages  of  sin,  but  also  a  total  and  ever- 
lasting suspension  or  withdrawment  of  every  manifesta^ 
tion  of  moral  excellence  from  the  soul;  so  that  being 
justly  deprived  of  suitable  motives  to  holiness,  and  infiu- 
euced  only  by  motives  to  that  which  is  evil,  the  poor  un- 
happy creature  wanders  in  darkness,  and  does  nothing  but 
sin  against  God  continual!} .  This  desertion  is  properly 
spiritual  death;  and  God  inflicts  it  on  ever}  one  who  is 
guilty. 

Guilt,;con3e(|uently,  always  is  and  must  be  the  grounds 
of  a  sinner's  continuing  in  a  state  of  unholiness;  luid  it  is 
impossible  for  him  to  obtain  the  least  particle  of  holiness 


464 

until  this  aWful  forfeiture  is  removed.  While  ever  guilt 
remains  it  holds  the  creiiture  fast  in  chains  under  dark- 
ness; adding  sin  to  sin,  and  transgression  to  transgression. 
If  God  does  not  pity  him  and  restore  to  him  the  light 
of  his  divine  glory,  the  whole  universe  cannot  reclaim 
him.  This  accounts  for  the  wonderful  circumstance  which 
we  find  recorded  in  scripture,  that  if  ever  a  creature  of 
God,  subject  to  moral  government,  once  sins  against 
him,  he  is  lost  for  ever.  Witness  the  devils  in  hell;  and 
they  never  cease  sinning,  except  their  career  of  iniquity 
is  stopped  by  divine  mercy  from  God  himself;  for  none 
other  can  pity,  and  no  other  hand  can  bring  deliverance. 
Witness  the  fallen  race  of  Adam. 

O  how  vain  it  is  for  sinners  to  pretend  to  holiness,  or  to 
go  about  to  establish  a  righteousness  of  their  own.  And 
what  a  fear^l  thing  it  is  to  refuse  to  submit  to  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ.  Unbelievers  wax  worse  and  worse,  and 
ever  will,  both  in  this  world  and  that  which  is  to  come, 
continuing  under  the  awful  load  of  guilt,  attended  with 
all  its  horrid  consequences.  "  After  thy  hardness  and 
"  impenitent  heart  treasurest  up  unto  thyself  wrath 
"  against  the  day  of  wrath  and  revelation  of  the  righte- 
"  ous  judgment  of  God." 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  obtain  holiness  but  by 
atoning  for  our  guilt;  and  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  atone 
for  our  guilt  but  by  faith,  laying  hold  of  the  atonement  of 
the  cross  of  Christ. 

We  are  now  to  inquire  into  the  blessed  eft'ects  of  atone- 
ment, or  of  righteousness.  Righteousness  is  the  opposite 
of  guilt,  and  has  the  direct  opposite  effects.  When  we 
are  righteous  on  a  covenant  plan,  we  are  not  only  entitled 
to  present  holiness,  but  to  perpetual  holiness,  even  an 
eternal  confirmation  in  holiness  and  happiness  for  ever. 

Had  Adam  kept  the  first  covenant,  this  perpetual  holi- 
ness and  happiness  would  have  been  our  -happy  portion. 
But  now  we  must  obtain  it  by  atonement,  as  it  is  propo- 


465 

bcd  to  us  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  procured  by  Christ 
in  the  covenant  ot "redempiion.  When  we  believe  in  Christ 
we  are  personally  interested  in  the  atonement  of  the  cross; 
this  completely  removes  our  guilt,  and,  as  I  have  already 
shown,  gives  a  claim  to  the  promises  of  the  covenant, 
which  promises  and  insures  us  the  blessed  manifestations 
of  God's  divine  excellencies.  The  Spirit  by  the  word 
brings  divine  discoveries  to  our  minds;  the  forfeited  bless- 
ings of  the  covenant  returns  to  the  poor  beniglited  soul, 
and  the  lost  image  of  God  immediately  begins  to  be  re- 
stored. Captivated  with  the  excellence  of  holiness,  we 
Iiegin  to  love  God  and  his  holy  law,  to  mourn  over  sin 
and  to  engage  with  delight  in  the  service  of  God. 

And  as  it  is  impossible  for  guilt  ever  to  be  imputed  to 
us  again  to  our  condemnation,  because  of  our  interest  in 
the  blood  of  the  cross,  therefore  those  motives  to  holiness 
will  never  be  fmally  withdrawn  from  us  any  more;  but  all 
things  shall  work  for  our  good,  and  no  real  good  thing 
can  be  withheld  from  us,  inasmuch  as  wc  never  can  forfeit 
our  right  to  the  blessings  of  the  covenant.  Blessed  indeed 
are  they  whose  iniquities  arc  forgiven  and  whose  sins 
are  covered.  He  who  believeth  shall  never  be  ashamed, 
shall  never  come  into  condemnation,  but  is  passed  from 
death  unto  life. 

Corol.  1.  The  devils  will  be  devils  in  hell  to  eternity. 
They  have  never  received  any  views,  or  had  any  discove- 
ries of  the  beauty  of  holiness  since  they  forfeited  those 
blessings  by  sin.  They  are  guilty  creatures,  and  never 
can  be  relieved  from  their  guilt,  for  they  cannot  make 
atonement.  Sinning  continually,  the  score  increases,  and 
no  atonement  made  for  them.  They  consequently  never 
can  be  sanctified.  They  never  will  or  can  be  admitted 
to  enjoy  such  a  blessing  as  to  view  the  divine  glory  of 
God's  perfections,  and  nothing  else  can  possibly  ma 

them  holv. 

3  N 


466 

CoroL  2.  Those  who  die  out  of  Christ  will  be  in  the 
ver^  same  predicament.  Dying  in  a  state  of  guilt,  and  left 
in  a  state  of  guilt  when  Christ  gives  up  his  mediatorial 
kingdom,  (1  Cor.  15.  24 — 28.)  they  must  remain  in  a  state 
of  guilt,  and  consequently  remain  unholy  for  ever. 

Corol.  3.  It  is  a  most  dangerous  thing  to  trifle  with 
the  gospel,  or  to  live  destitute  of  faith.  He  that  is  desti- 
tute of  faith  is  destitute  of  holiness,  and  is  in  danger  every 
moment  to  be  consigned  over  to  an  eternal  state  of  guilt, 
and  consequently  to  an  eternal  state  of  unholiness. 

Corol.  4.  There  is  no  salvation  out  of  Christ.  Deists, 
who  deny  the  atonement  of  Christ,  must  perish  for  ever. 
All  their  wit,  sense,  learning,  and  pretended  morality, 
and  power  of  natural  religion,  cannot  deliver  them  from 
guilt;  and  consequently  they  will,  in  spite  of  all  they  say, 
or  can  say  or  do,  remain  in  a  state  of  unholiness.  They 
need  not  pretend  to  bully  their  Maker  out  of  the  manifes- 
tations of  his  divine  excellence  to  their  souls:  they  never 
can  get  one  till  they  believe  in  Christ,  to  remove  their 
guilt.  But  this  they  will  not  be  persuaded  to  do;  therefore 
guilt  and  pollution,  hell  and  damnation,  must  be  their 
portion  for  ever. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

Some  interestmg  passages  of  scripture  explained  o?t  the 
above  principles. 

Several  very  important  texts  and  passages  of  scrip- 
ture, which  are  difficult  to  have  clear  conceptions  of,  are 
explained  on  the  above  principles,  which  I  have  attempted 
to  demonstrate  and  establish.  I  will  bring  forward  some 
of  them  and  point  out  their  meaning. 

Eph.  5.  14  "  Awake  thou  that  sleepest  and  arise  from 
••  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light. "  As  the  mari 


467 

uers  called  upon  Jonah  who  was  asleep  in  eminent  clan- 
ger, so  the  calls  of  the  gospel  summon  careless  sinners 
to  be  sensible  of  their  guilt  and  danger,  and  fly  to  Christ 
that  they  may  be  delivered  from  a  state  of  guilt  and  death; 
and  Christ,  who  is  the  light  of  the  world  and  the  light  of 
men,  and  who  turns  many  from  darkness  to  light,  will 
give  them  light:  giving  them  a  view  of  the  glory  of  God, 
to  incline  their  souls  to  holiness. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  (2  Cor.  4.  3,  4.)  those  who 
believe  not,  but  remain  in  their  lost  state,  are  in  a  blinded 
state;  so  that  the  gospel  is  hid  to  them,  and  does  not  ex- 
hibit Christ  who  is  the  image  of  God  to  their  souls.  But 
(v.  6.)  God  shines  into  the  hearts  of  those  who  believe, 
and  gives  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face 
of  Jesus  Christ;  so  that  (chap.  3.  18.)  they  are  changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit 
or  divine  influence  and  effects  of  the  Lord,  whose  glory 
brings  the  soul  to  the  same  glory  or  likeness. 

Christ  opens  the  prison  doors;  (Is.  42.  7.)  turns  from 
darkness  to  light;  (Acts  26. 18.)  from  the  power  of  Satan 
unto  God,  that  they  by  faith  may  receive  forgiveness  of 
sins  and  an  inheritance  among  them  that  are  sanctified. 

Gal.  2.  20.  I  am  crucified,  legally  considered  as  hav- 
ing made  atonement  for  my  sin,  in  union  with  Christ; 
therefore  the  law  does  not  view  me  as  guilty.  Yet  it  is  not 
in  consequence  of  my  own  righteousness,  but  that  of  my 
Surety,  who  is  one  with  me  as  my  covenant  head,  and  who 
also  has  formed  his  image  in  my  heart.  So  that  the  spiri 
tlial  life  which  I  enjoy  iii  this  imperfect  state,  I  possess 
by  Christ,  through  my  union  to  him  and  his  fiiithfulness 
to  me  in  all  the  promises  of  the  covenant. 

2  Cor.  5.  14.  ''  For  the  love  of  Christ  constrains  us;" 
we  are  powerfully  influenced  by  the  wonderful  love  of 
Christ,  to  yield  ourselves  up  to  him  in  all  our  duty,  when 
we  only  consider  that  he  is  our  Surety  and  great  Atone- 
ment according  to  the  gospel  plan;  "because  we  thus 


468 

"  judge."  This  is  the  view  we  have  of  this  most  impor- 
tant matter,  viz.  "  That  if  one  died,"  as  a  surety  or  an 
atonement,  "  for  all,  then  were  all,"  for  whom  he  died, 
"  dead,"  not  only  liable  to  death  in  consequence  of 
guilt,  and  spiritually  dead  in  sin,  but  also  dead  with  him 
as  a  federal  head,  "  crucified  with  him:"  having  virtuall}' 
suffered  the  penalty  of  the  law  in  him  at  his  death.  For 
the  law  always  considers  the  principal  one  with  the 
surety,  and  doing  the  same  thing  he  does  in  his  place. 

I  know  divines  have  generally  explained  this  text  as 
relating  to  spiritual  death,  and  liability  to  death  in  conse- 
quence of  guilt.  But  although  this  is  necessarily  implied 
in  the  idea  of  atonement  for  sin,  yet  this  is  not  the  grand 
idea  of  the  apostle  in  this  place.  His  main  idea  is,  that 
those  for  whom  Christ  died,  died  legally  in  him;  his  death 
being  counted  as  their  death;  and  so  they  are  considered 
in  law  as  making  the  atonement,  because  Christ  made 
the  atonement  for  them.  The  apostle  often  gives  us  this 
idea  in  his  demonstrations  of  the  gospel  plan;  and  in  con- 
sequence of  not  taking  this  idea,  I  confess  that  I  have  been 
very  dark,  and  consequently  gave  very  confused  ideas  of 
many  such  passages  of  the  bible;  and  if  other  divines  had 
better  ideas,  who  have  laboured  to  explain  those  passages, 
it  is  a  pity  but  they  had  favoured  the  world  with  them 
in  a  clearer  light  than  they  have. 

On  this  idea  the  apostle  proceeds,  (v.  15.)  "  And  he 
"  died  for  all"  as  a  surety,  "  that  they  who  live,"  who 
were  represented  by  him,  and  who  were  redeemed  from 
death  by  his  atonement,  "  should  not  henceforth,"  after 
they  had  made  a  complete  atonement  for  their  guilt  and 
were  thereby  entitled  to  life,  "live  unto  themselves,"  as 
if  they  were  independent  of  God  their  Creator,  or  Christ 
their  Redeemer;  "  but  unto  him  who  died  for  them,"  and 
redeemed  them  from  guilt,  in  whom  they  are  entitled  to  life 
by  the  atonement,  "and  rose  again;"  demonstrating  and 
proving  the  validity  of  the  atonement  which  he  made  in 


469 

their  room.  (v.  16.)  "  i^?-e  Y,fxi7(;  attq  tx  vw.  "  So  that  wt 
"^now  alter  this,"  after  this  plan  or  distribution  ol'  af- 
fairs, "  know  no  man,"  do  not  conceive  or  know  any  man 
who  is  thus  dead  with  Christ,  having  made  full  atone- 
ment for  sin,  "  after  the  flesh,"  considered  in  a  state  of 
nature,  exposed  to  the  penalty  of  the  divine  law,  left  of 
God  in  a  state  of  guilt  and  darkness,  "  yea,  though  we 
"  have  known  Christ."  If  indeed,  according  to  this  state- 
ment, we  have  conceived  Christ  "  after  the  flesh"  as  our 
surety,  standing  in  our  natural  state,  exposed  to  all  the 
consequences  of  guilt,  "  yet  now,  henceforth,"  after  he 
has  suflfered  in  our  room,  and  finished  his  work,  and  Riade 
a  complete  atonement,  "  we  know  him  no  more"  as  a  sa- 
crifice for  sin.  For  (Hcb.  9.  25,  26.  28.)  it  was  not  ne- 
cessary that  he  should  offer  himself  often;  but  once,  in  the 
proper  time,  he  hath  appeared  to  put  away  our  guilt  by 
offering  himself  a  sacrifice;  and  he,  having  once  offered 
himself  a  sacrifice  to  atone  for  the  guilt  of  many,  it  is 
not  necessar}  for  him  to  die  again;  but  he  will  come 
again,  not*  with  sin  imputed  to  him,  but  as  having  pur- 
chased full  salvation  for  those  who  look  to  him  and  depend 
upon  hin-^  as  their  only  atonement.  "  Therefore,"  (v.  17.) 
it  follows,  as  a  natural  consequence  from  what  I  have  said, 
that  ''  if  any  man  be"  a  believer  "  in  Christ,"  is  crucified 
with  Christ  or  is  dead  with  Christ,  "  he  is  a  new  crea- 
"  ture,"  introduced  into  new  circumstances.  "  Old  things 
"  are  passed  away,"  the  old  covenant  has  lost  its  hold  of 
him  as  a  sinner;  his  guilt  is  gone,  for  ever  buried  and 
forgotten;  his  forfeiture  removed,  and,  as  a  glorious  con- 
sequence of  this,  "  behold,"  however  astonishing  it  is, 
"  all  things  are  become  new:"  he  is  newly  justified,  he  is 
adopted  into  a  new  family,  he  now  has  new  light  and 
manifestations,  new  motives,  which  beget  new  disposi- 
tions in  his  soul;  his  thoughts,  views,  hopes,  desires,  and 
his  whole  maji  is  formed  into  the  imag-e  of  God:  and  a]l 


470 

these  things  are  of  God  (v.  18.)  in  consequence  of  our 
reconciliation  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

In  the  sixth  chapter  to  the  Romans  the  apostle  very 
conclusively  answers  that  too  common  objection  against 
the  doctrine  of  free  grace,  "  Shall  we  continue  in  sin  that 
'*  grace  may  bound;"  as  if  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by 
grace  connived  at  iniquity,  and  indulged  sloth  and  inat- 
tention to  religion.  He  establishes  his  argument  on  the 
very  principles  of  atonement;  plainly  showing  that  it  is 
impossible  for  any  one  to  live  under  the  influence  of  sin, 
after  he  has  made  atonement,  and  is  completely  deli- 
vered from  the  curse  of  the  law.  He  carries  on  the  same 
idea  as  we  have  already  explained  to  be  in  Gal.  2.  20.  "  I 
*'  am  crucified  with  Christ,  therefore  I  live,"  &c.  I  will 
not  insert  the  passage  but  only  give  the  leading  ideas  in 
his  argument. 

It  is  impossible,  says  the  apostle,  (v.  2.)  for  us  to  con- 
tinue in  sin  when  we  are  redeemed  from  it  by  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ.  How  shall  we,  who  are  crucified  with 
Christ  for  sin,  live  any  longer  in  it.  After  we  in  Christ 
have  satisfied  the  penal  demands  of  justice  by  death,  we 
are  entitled  to  the  manifestations  of  God's  excellence  and 
glory,  which  will  change  us  into  his  image,  and  always, 
less  or  more,  influence  us  towards  that  which  is  holy. 
Our  very  profession  of  the  gospel  shows  that  we  have 
atoned  for  our  sin  by  the  death  of  Christ,  (v.  3,  4.)  If 
therefore  we  are  in  Christ  in  his  death,  certainly  when  he 
rose  from  the  dead  after  he  had  made  atonement  for  us, 
we  also  will  rise  with  him  to  a  new  state:  "  He  that  is  in 
*'  Christ  is  a  new  creature."  For  if  we  have  been  con- 
sidered in  him  and  he  acting  for  us  when  he  died,  we 
also  (v.  5.)  must  rise  as  he  did  from  the  power  of  sin, 
having  satisfied  all  the  demands  of  justice. 

It  is  truly  the  case,  according  to  the  plan  of  the  gospel, 
(v.  6.)  that  we,  in  our  state  of  nature,  as  bound  to  answer 


471 

tlie  penalty  of  the  broken  covenant,  were  legally  consider- 
ed in  Christ  when  he  wd^  crucified;  and  this  atonement 
was  made  that  the  whole  strength  of  sin  might  be  broken, 
that  we  should  not  be  led  by  sinful  propensities  under 
the  influence  of  wrong  and  sinful  motives;  but,  being  de- 
livered from  that  unhappy  state  and  brought  in  the  mar- 
vellous light  of  the  glory  of  God,  we  might  be  holy. 
For  (v.  7.)  he  that  has  suffered  the  penalty  of  the  law 
is  free  from  all  the  evil  consequences  of  sin.  It  therefore 
follows  that  if  we  be  dead,  or  crucified  with  Christ,  (v.  8.) 
we  may  rest  assured  that  we  will  live  with  him;  for  our 
being  interested  in  his  crucifixion  is  the  very  thing  that 
entitles  us  to  the  life  that  is  promised  in  the  covenant. 

Thus  the  apostle  lays  the  foundation  of  the  whole  life 
of  the  believer  on  the  atonement  of  Christ,  which  delivers 
him  from  the  curse  of  the  broken  covenant,  and  entitles 
him  to  the  sanctifying  influences  of  the  gospel. 

By  this  plan  it  is  very  evident  that  salvation  by  free 
grace  is  so  far  from  indulging  sin,  that  it  is  the  only  thing 
that  does  and  can  break  the  power  of  it;  and  it  is  also 
evident  that  our  sanctification  depends  entirely  on  the 
atonement  of  Chrisi;  and  hence  the  apostle,  with  infinite 
propriety,  says,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in 
''  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world 
"  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world."  This  ought 
to  be  rendered,  *'  by  which"  (to  wit,  by  the  cross  or  atone- 
ment) "  the  world  is  crucified,"  8cc.  This  would  identify 
the  apostle's  argument,  and  confine  us  to  the  idea  of  the 
atonement,  which  was  his  identical  meaning. 


472 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Regeneration. 

Regeneration  is  generally  said  to  be  the  first  dawn 
of  sanctification  in  the  soul.  It  is  expressed  in  scripture 
under  the  idea  of  being  born  again,  created  anew,  created 
in  the  image  of  God,  putting  off  the  old  man  and  putting 
on  the  new,  &c.  Although  I  have  no  great  objection  to 
saying  that  regeneration  is  the  first  impression  of  the  im- 
age of  God  on  the  soul  or  the  first  act  of  sanctification, 
yet  I  cannot  but  think  it  not  very  improper  to  say  that 
it  is  the  whole  work  of  sanctification  taken  under  one 
view.  The  apostle  John  says,  (1  John  3.  9.)  "  Whosoever 
'*  is  born  of  God  sinneth  not."  It  is  very  difficult  to  under- 
stand this  text  but  by  putting  such  a  meaning  as  this  to 
it,  that  as  far  as  he  is  born  of  God,  or  in  his  renewed 
nature,  he  doth  not  commit  sin,  or  that  he  doth  not  ha- 
bitually commit  sin;  but  the  idea  seems  to  be  that,  as  far 
as  he  is  regenerated  he  does  not  sin:  consequently,  as  he 
grows  in  grace  he  grows  in  rege iteration,  and  becomes 
more  and  more  holy  as  he  is  more  and  more  born  of  God. 

But  still  it  is  natural  enough  to  say  that  it  is  the  first 
begetting  of  spiritual  life  in  the  soul;  so  that  the  soul  after 
it  is  born  grows  in  sanctification  until  the  believer  be- 
comes a  perfect  man  in  Christ  Jesus.  Under  this  view  of 
it  I  have  generally  spoken  of  it  and  shall  now  treat  the 
subject. 

Regeneration  is  one  of  the  happy  eifects  of  an  interest 
in  Christ  by  faith.  It  is  the  eifect  of  the  truth  of  God's 
word  brought  to  the  heart  by  the  divine  Spirit;  giving 
the  believer  spiritual  views  of  holiness,  which  is  the 
glory  of  God  which  attracts  the  soul,  and -gives  it  a  hoi}'- 
disposition;  or,  in  other  words,  brings  the  soul  to  a  con- 


473 

fbrmity  to  tlie  divine  will.  This  we  may  say,  is  the  first 
work  of  a  genuine  savinj^  nature  in  the  soul,  by  whieli 
the  ruins  of  the  fall  are  beginnings  to  be  repaired,  and  the 
moral  image  of  God  restored  to  the  fallen  ereaturc. 

The  curse  being  removed  by  the  imputation  of  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  there  is  access  to  God,  and  the 
divine  Spirit  engages  in  his  important  part  of  the  work 
of  our  salvation,  and  I)y  his  divine  operations  through  his 
\vord  he  changes  the  heart  and  brings  it  to  a  conformity 
to  holiness. 

As  to  the  effects  of  regeneration,  I  observe  in  tlic  first 
place,  that  it  produces  a  great  change  in  the  soul.  This 
change  is  always  sensibly  felt;  the  person  is  very  sensible 
of  it  although  he  may  not  know  what  it  is;  whether  it  is 
regeneration  or  not,  whether  it  is  true  grace  or  not.  But 
however  uncertain  he  ma}'  be  as  to  wliat  name  to  give 
his  new  feelings,  he  feels  them  powerfully  in  his  heart. 

This  change  may  be  wrought  in  the  heart  when  the 
person  is  very  young;  in  which  case  it  will  not  be  so  apt 
to  be  remembered.  It  also  may  be  intermixed  with  \(^ry 
great  fears  and  distress,  and  many  other  exercises  of  the 
mind;  in  which  case  it  will  not  be  very  clearly  ascertained. 
Also  the  first  spark  may  be  veiy  small,  and  much  cor- 
ruption to  oppose,  like  the  smoking  flax;  but  let  these 
circumstances  be  as  they  may  there  is  a  change,  the  man 
is  not  what  he  was  before. 

2.  The  change  is  a  moral  change.  It  is  not  in  the  na- 
tural powers  of  the  soul.  There  is  no  new  power  given 
nor  taken  away;  but  divine  truth  affects  the  soul  so  as 
to  produce  the  change  in  the  choice,  taste,  or  disposition 
of'the  mind;  consequently  it  must  be  produced  by  mo 
tives  according  to  the  principles  which  I  have  already 
explained. 

3.  The  change  in  regeneration  is  from  a  taste  or  relish 
for  sin  to  a  taste  for  holiness:  consequently,  the  person 
hates  sin  and  abhors  his  former  ways  of  iniquit^',   and 

3  O 


474 

loves  God  and  the  ways  of  holiness.  This  disposition  of 
his  heart  is  expressed  by  strong  desires,  earnest  prayers, 
pantings  of  the  mind  after  a  conformity  to  the  will  of  God; 
also  in  self-loathing  on  the  account  of  sin,  serious  con- 
fessions, and  endeavours  to  turn  from  sin  and  to  live  a 
life  of  holiness. 

It  is  frequently  said,  that  the  genuine  feelings  of  this 
qhange  may  be  counterfeited  by  natural  feelings,  the 
effects  of  fear,  self-love,  &c.  I  grant  that  fear  ar.d  self- 
love  can  and  will  produce  many  feelings;  but  there  is 
nothing  but  regeneration  can  produce  such  feelings  as  I 
have  described.  I  have  heard  hypocrisy  and  many  species 
of  false  feelings  painted  v/ith  such  life  and  dexterity  that 
one  would  be  disposed  to  conclude  that  it  ^vas  impossible 
to  distinguish  betwixt  the  work  of  God  and  the  work  of 
the  devil,  or  of  the  corrupt  heart;  and  many  a  popr  child 
of  God  has  famished  almost  to  death  attending  upon  such 
critical  definitions;  and  very  often  when  the  true  charac- 
teristic comes  forth  it  is  so  exceedingly  refined,  and  runs 
so  far  into  perfection,  that  there  never  was  a  mere  man 
since  the  fall  of  Adam  has  ever  come  half  way  to  it. 

The  truth  is,  we  ought  never  to  think  that  any  dispo- 
sition of  the  heart  is  like  holiness;  and  if  a  man  hates  sin 
and  loves  holiness,  he  has  feelings  which  nothing  but 
God  can  give  him,  and  which  he  never  does  give  to  any 
but  those  who  are  brought  from  under  the  curse  by  the 
imputation  of  the  atonement  of  the  cross.  If  you  feel 
afraid  of  hell,  it  will  not  hurt  you;  if  you  want  to  go  to 
heaven,  it  is  very  well,  I  would  think  you  a  fool  if  you 
did  not;  and  if  you  feel  a  pleasing  pleasure  or  happiness 
in  loving  holiness  and  in  being  in  some  measure  holy,  I 
would  not  scruple  it,  if  you  are  regenerated;  and  for  you 
to  feel  your  desires  going  out  after  God  and  holiness,  no 
matter  how  happy  you  are  in  those  desires,  your  happi- 
ness will  not  destroy  the  holiness  of  your  heart. 


475 
Some  are  very  much  afraid  lest  they  love  holiness  and 
hate  sin  from  ^^'ronu:  motives.  But  if  it  is  a  fact  that  you 
do  love  holiness  and  hate  sin,  it  makes  no  odds  from 
what  motive  you  do  it;  for  neither  your  Maker  nor  the 
devil  could  make  vou  do  it  from  wrouGj  motives:  it  is  an 
impossible  ease.   God  only  can  give  the  motives  that  nviU 
incline  you  to  holiness,  and  he  never  gives  wrong  ones; 
and  if  wrong  motives  were  presented  to  you  they  never 
could  lead  you  to  holiness,  to  make  you  love  it  and  hate 
sin.  If  it  is  onlv  true  that  your  heart  does  delight   in 
holiness  and  loathe  iniquity,  you  need  not  trouble  your- 
self about  your  motives:  God  will  take  care  of  these  lor 
you.   But  you  say  that  you  must  act  for  the  glory  of  God. 
i  grant  it. 'But  if  you  love  holiness  and  hate  sin,  you  do 
act  for  die  glory  of  God;  for  there  is  nothhig  but  the 
glory  of  God  that  can  induce  you  to  love  holiness. 

Upon  the  whole,  regeneration  is  a  precious  grace,  and 
contains  the  grounds  of  every  branch  of  holiness:    we 
never  can  be  happy  without  it,  or  see  the  kingdom  of 
God.   If  we  are  the  subjects  of  it,  we  have  an  interest  m 
Christ  and  are  justified  by  his  blood.   If  we  wish  to  ob- 
tain it,  we  need  not  attempt  it  b}  keeping  the  moral  law; 
for  although  the  moral  law  is  to  be  our  rule  of  life,  yet 
it  never  can  create  a  sinner  anew,  or  sanctify  him  in  the 
least  degree.  The  only  plan  is  to  believe  on  Christ.  Come 
to  him  just  as  you  are,  and  he  u  ill  give  his  righteousness, 
which  will  redeem  you  from  iht  curse  of  the  law.    1  hen 
God  will  change  your  heart,  by  revealing  his  divine  glory 
to  you. 


476 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Sanctification:  particidarbj^  some  reasons  offered  why  it 
is  imperfect  in  this  life. 

Sanctification  is  another  benefit  of  an  interest  in 
Christ.  Sanctification  is  causing  the  child  of  God  to  grow; 
it  is  to  make  a  sinner  holy.  Regeneration  is  the  com- 
mencement of  sanctification,  as  1  ha\'e  before  observed, 
but  sanctification  is  the  progress  of  the  work. 

That  holiness  is  necessary,  and  even  the  principle  part 
of  our  salvation,  is  so  plain  a  doctrine,  that  no  one  disputes 
it.  That  holiness  is  produced  in  a  sinner  by  sanctification 
is  also  an  evident  matter;  but  why  sanctification  should 
be  a  progressive  work,  to  be  continued,  and  not  perfec- 
ted in  this  life,  is  a  question  which  we  may  ask,  but  can- 
not easily  answer:  but  difficult  as  it  is,  1  will  venture  a 
few  thoughts. 

There  are  somethings  which,  although  naturally  possi- 
ble yet  are  not  morally  possible,  and  some  things  not 
suitable  to  be  done.  The  wisdom  of  God  is  manifested 
in  choosing  plans  which  will  the  most  easily  and  effectu- 
ally bring  about  his  divine  purposes.  These  are  positions 
which  no  one  can  deny. 

God  purposed  to  save  a  number  of  Adam's  fallen  race: 
he  consequently  chose  them  out  of  the  world,  and  gave 
them  to  his  Son  as  his  peculiar  inheritance.  It  no  doubt 
was  not  fit,  and  probably  it  was  morally  impossible  to 
choose  one  particular  tribe  or  nation  of  people.  At  any 
rate,  God  manifests  his  adorable  sovereignty  more  by 
choosing  his  people  out  of  every  kindred  and  tongue  and 
people  and  nation;  and  no  doubt  it  has  a  greater  tenden- 
cy to  correct  the  common  manners  of  the  world,  by  the 
more  general  spread  of  the  gospel;  to  call  in  the  elect 


477 

liom  various  (juarters  of  the  Morld,  and  by  tlie  influence 
of  the  sentiments  iuid  example  of  the  people  of  God. 
Deists  no  doubt  may  laugh  at  this,  as  laughing  is  their 
priiieiple  argument,  and  has  a  powerful  tendency  to  con- 
vince fools;  yet  the  world  has  felt  both  the  disadvantage 
of  the  want  of  the  gospel,  and  the  glorious  advantages 
of  the  gospel,  ever  since  the  fall  of  Adam.  Before  the 
flood,  when  there  was  no  bible  extant,  and  religion  was 
considerably  confined  to  a  line  of  Adam's  posterity  from 
him  to  Noath,  the  consequence  was  shocking  to  the  last 
degree;  until  the  flood  came  and  swept  them  away  with 
an  awful  overthrow  for  their  wickedness.  And  after- 
wards, when  the  bible  was  confined  to  the  tribes  ol' 
Israel,  how  awful  was  the  state  of  the  surrounding  na- 
tions! Even  Egypt,  Babylon,  Greece  and  Rome,  which 
have  exhibited  the  greatest  geniuses  in  the  world,  accom- 
plished with  every  advantage  of  science  and  study,  with 
all  their  morality  and  nice  philosophy,  present  us,  at  last, 
with  little  else  than  monsters  of  iniquity  and  debauchery 
of  every  kind,  both  in  their  worship  and  common  man- 
ners; and  all  authorised  by  their  courts  and  councils, 
wise  men  and  philosophers;  and  when  Christ  came  into 
the  world  he  found  it  in  a  miserable  situation  indeed. 
AVe  have  a  shocking  statement  of  the  unhappy  situation 
of  the  heathens  in  the  first  chapter  to  the  Romans;  and 
even  to  this  day,  to  take  a  view  of  those  parts  of  the 
world,  which  have  never  been  visited  by  the  gospel,  or 
which  have  been  deserted  by  the  gospel,  is  enough  to 
excite  our  pity  as  well  as"  our  abhorrence. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  how  was  the  face  of  the  earth 
changed  when  the  proper  time  came,  when  there  was  no 
more  a  necessity  to  preserAC  the  tribe  of  Judah  as  a  re- 
pository for  the  oracles  of  God,  to  designate  the  true 
Messiah,  and  to  establish  our  belief  on  him. 

When  the  gospel  was  preached  among  the  gentiles  bv 
the  disciples,  it  made  tl>e  whole  Roman  empire  to  feel 


478 

the  powerful  effects  of  it.  These  men  were  not  attended 
with  mighty  armies,  equipt  with  weapons  of  war.  They 
had  not  even  the  advantage  of  human  literature.  They 
had  not  either  influence  or  civil  power.  They  were  poor, 
illiterate,  and  despised.  But  they  had  the  gospel  to 
preach.  They  had  to  tell  the  nations  that  they  were  wrong; 
that  those  gods  whom  they  worshipped  could  not  save 
them;  and  that  they  must  be  saved  by  believing  on  him 
whom  Pontius  Pilate  crucified  at  Jerusalem,  who  had 
risen  from  the  dead  as  the  only  Saviour  of  the  world: 
very  unlikely  weapons  indeed  to  conquer  mankind. 
But  what  was  the  consequence?  Churches  were  planted  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  and  it  was  not  comparatively  very 
long  until  you  find  a  christian  emperor  on  the  throne  of 
Rome  in  spite  of  all  the  power  of  the  civil  sword;  and  the 
little  boys,  with  ropes  tied  round  the  necks  of  the  idols 
which  their  fathers  used  to  worship,  dragging  them 
up  and  down  the  streets  for  play  things;  and  from  that 
day  to  this  the  names  of  heathen  gods  are  only  known  in 
books  by  the  learned,  as  gods  whom  the  heathens  used 
to  worship  before  they  heard  the  gospel.  However 
lightly  the  man  of  the  world  may  look  upon  these  things, 
they  are  truly  most  astonishing  and  enough  to  convince 
us  that  the  gospel  is  the  wisdom  of  God  and  the  power 
of  God.  Who  can  refrain  from  astonishment  and  convic- 
tion to  read  the  simple  narrative  of  the  New  Testament? 
It  is  true,  only  the  bare  facts  are  mentioned  without  any 
colouring,  and  the  world  is  left  to  think  of  the  facts  as 
they  see  fit ;  yet  the  things  donte  are  truly  incredible  but 
on  the  idea,  that  they  are  the  works  of  the  Lord;  and 
they  are  truly  marvellous  in  our  eyes.* 

*  The  history  of  Christ  and  his  aposUcs  exceeds  every  thing  that 
ever  was  read,  for  the  simpHcity  of  line  narrative  of  the  most  inter- 
esting facts  therein  contained.  No  historian  that  ever  has  written, 
especially  the  transactions  of  a  great  favourite,  is*  at  all  to  be  com- 
pared with  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  aivl  John.  It  niust  be  supposed 


479 

.Vt  this  day  we  call  those  nations  civilized  who  are 
brought  from  a  state  of  barbarit}'.  But  pray,  who  iu-e 

that  they  loved  Christ  and  his  cause,  and  it  is  very  evident  from  theii' 
vv  ritinijs  that  they  did.  Christ  was  their  Lord  and  Master,  and  they  had 
left  all  and  followed  him.  Yet  how  perfectly  free  is  their  history  from 
any  thing  like  flattery,  encomium,  or  even  painting.  Neitherdo  they 
use  any  reproachful  language  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  persecutors 
of  Christ;  but  they  content  themselves  with  relating  the  bare  facts 
as  they  stood,  without  the  least  insinuation  on  the  one  hand  or  the 
other.  This  is  a  perfect  exception  from  all  the  world  beside;  and  I 
do  not  believe  there  could  be  a  man  found  that  could  do  it.  He  could 
not  bear  to  refrain  from  praising  his  friend,  and  reproaching  his 
enemies  who  would  wrongfully  persecute  him.  He  could  not  tell  of 
stupenduous,  miraculous  things  without  high  epithets;  his  veiy  feel- 
ings would  not  admit  him,  he  could  not  keep  down  his  own  sensa- 
tions: he  would  have  to  show  what  he  thought,  and  he  must  try  to 
make  others  also  think  with  him.  Disinterestedness,  and  ingenuous- 
ness is  the  excellence  of  the  style  and  manner  of  historical  writing, 
and  many  men  of  high  taste,  and  noble  talents  and  erudition  have 
tried  it;  and  although  some  have  succeeded  much  better  than  others, 
yet  none  have  come  near  the  mark  but  the  poor  fellow  travellers  of 
our  blessed  I^ord. 

Are  you  not  surprised  that  you  never  read  the  epithets  blessed, 
glorious,  adorable,  wonderful,  kind  and  dear,  added  to  the  name  of 
Christ?  No  such  things.  It  is,  the  Lord  Jesus  said  or  did  so  and  so. 
How  could  they  help  vilifying  the  chief  priests?  that  base  wretch 
Caiaphas  and  the  law,  hypocritical  scribes  and  elders?  And  does 
Judas  escape  their  reproaches  too?  that  cursed  traitor  I  And  how 
docs  Pilate  fare,  that  wretched  infamous  judge,  who  could  basely 
condemn  an  innocent  man  to  die  ?  and  poor  cowardly  Peter,  M'ho 
l)ragged  that  he  would  do  mighty  feats  ?  Are  you  not  astonished  at 
such  ingenuousness?  You  find  nothing  but  Caiaphas,  and  the  chief 
priests  and  elders,  and  Peter,  and  Judas,  and  Pilate.  And  could  they 
give  an  account  of  what  they  did  with  calmness^  Surely  when  they 
begin  to  spit  on  their  Lord  and  Master  and  smite  him,  and  crown 
him  with  thorns,  and  clothe  him  in  mock  royalty,  and  pretend  to 
bow  before  him  in  derision,  will  they  not  begin  to  show  some  indig- 
nation? such  base  inhuman  treatment  of  a  man  who  had  never  done 
any  harm.  No.  They  did  so  and  so,  and  that  is  all  we  hear  about  it. 
Will  they  not  at  least  extol  to  the  veiy  clouds  the  most  unparalleled 
fortitude,  patience,  and  meekness  of  their  Master  under  such  unheard 
of  trials?  No.  They  just  tell  us  how  he  did.  Rut  let  us  come  to  the 


480 

the  civilized  nations,  and  who  the  barbarian?  Even  those 
who  have  the  gospel,  and  those  who  have  not  We  may 
introduce  a  thousand  reasons  for  civilization  and  reform 
in  laws  and  customs;  but  some  how  it  happens  that  the 
bible  is  always  at  the  bottom  of  every  good  reason  that  can 
be  offered.  There  might  be  several  other  good  reasons 
why  God  chose  his  people  promiscuously  from  among 
the  rest.  If  the  whole  body  of  the  elect  were  together, 
perhaps  it  would  be  worse  for  them  than  it  is  now;  the 
rest  of  the  world  would  be  more  pointedly  and  visibly 
their  enemies,  and  it  would  require  a  constant  miracle  to 
preserve  them  from  their  rage  and  annoyance.  This  was 
considerably  the  case  with  the  Jewish  nation.  God's  peo- 
ple also  by  such  a  plan  would  be  cut  off  from  any  inter- 
course with  the  men  of  the  world,  and  would  be  depri- 
ved of  every  advantage  and  assistance  of  a  worldly 
nature  which  they  now  enjoy. 

cmss,  and  what  is  the  account  there  ?  Is  there  no  picturesque,  no 
painting?  Do  they  not  dwell  on  this  wonderful  occurrence?  No. 
<'  And  they  crucified  him:"  simple  facts  still.  But  that  most  alarm- 
ing, most  interesting,  and  most  marvellous  circumstance  of  the  dark- 
ness that  took  place  while  Jesus  was  suffering;  this  surely  would 
provoke  a  very  high  description!  No.  "  Now  from  the  sixth  hour 
"  there  was  darkness  over  all  the  land  until  the  ninth  hour;"  and  they 
tell  us  that  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice  and  gave  up  tlic  ghost.  If 
this  is  not  simplicity  I  know  not  where  we  shall  find  it.  When  we 
come  to  the  resurrection  we  still  find  the  same  honest  simplicity  in 
the  narrative,  although  very  grand  and  instructive.  So  we  may  say 
of  his  ascension,  and  the  account  they  give  us  of  all  the  miracles 
which  our  Saviour  wrought. 

Surely  there  never  could  be  such  a  book  written  by  the  art  of  man, 
exhibiting  such  grand  and  interesting  matter  with  such  amazingly 
disinterested  ingenuousness;  and  yet  not  dry  and  unentertaining, 
but  rising  into  the  truly  sublime;  interesting  us  and  laying  hold  of 
our  feelings  without  any  art  or  seeming  intention;  and  we  find  more 
interesting  matter,  in  which  the  veiy  life  of  our  souls  are  at  stake  in 
one  page,  than  we  can  find  in  many,  many  pages  ,of  the  most  inge-' 
nious  writer  in  the  world. 


481 

Christians  consequently  have  to  live  intermingled  with 
the  wicked,  and  such  an  intercourse  would  very  ill  suit 
a  state  of  perfection  in  holiness;  and  it  is  probable,  that 
this  is  one  good  reason  why  God  permits,  generall} ,  his 
people  to  live  ten,  fifteen,  twenty  and  thirty  years  in  a 
state  of  nature  before  he  calls  them  effectually  by  his 
Spirit;  that  they  may  be  fit  to  stay  in  this  imperfect  state 
to  do  what  he  has  for  them  to  do,  and  may  be  the  better 
capacitated  both  to  bear  with  sinners  and  to  do  them 
good.  God  often  called  Israel  to  remember  that  they 
were  once  strangers  in  Egypt;  and  it  is  a  truth,  as  to 
preachers,  that  the  church  derives  infinite  advantage  from 
their  past  experience,  even  in  sin.  Perhaps  an  angel 
would  not  know  how  a  sinner  feels.  Our  blessed  Saviour 
knows  how  to  succour  those  who  are  tempted,  having 
been  tempted  himself;  and  Paul  says,  speaking  of  Satan, 
we  are  not  ignorant  of  his  de^•ices. 

Of  course  it  would  not  be  best  for  the  saints  to  become 
perfectly  sanctified  at  once:  they  would  have  a  miserable 
time  of  it  in  the  world,  and  the  world  would  have  a  mise- 
rable time  of  it  with  them.  Perfection  in  sin,  and  perfec- 
tion in  holiness  never  could  be  happy  together:  if  it  could, 
there  would  be  no  need  for  a  hell,  or  a  final  separation. 
And  seeing  it  appears  best  for  a  christian  to  experience  a 
sinful  state  for  awhile  it  must  be  best  for  him  to  be  still 
imperfect,  even  in  a  gracious  state.  His  friends  and  neigh- 
bours, and  perhaps  the  wife  of  his  bosom  and  his  children, 
are  not  all  yet  brought  in;  he  must  therefore  bear  with 
them  till  God's  time.  But  how  could  all  this  be  done 
unless  he  had  something  to  mourn  over  in  his  own  case, 
which,  as  it  were,  tempers  him  to  his  situation.  He  re- 
members what  he  once  was,  and  how  many  calls  and 
warnings  he  withstood,  and  with  what  a  malevolent  tem- 
per he  did  it  too.  This  makes  him  wait  with  patience, 
while  he  considers  with  gratitude  and  wonder  his  former 

3  P 


482 

state,  and  while  he  reflects  upon  his  present  short  com- 
ings in  the  sight  of  God. 

It  is  not  fair  to  object  to  the  above  statement,  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  made  an  experiment  of  a  perfect  man 
living  in  this  world  of  imperfection,  for  two  reasons:  He 
was  a  man  of  continual  sorrow;  he  often  expressed  his 
grief  with  sinners,  and  even  heavily  complained  of  the 
imperfections  of  his  disciples;  and  he  was  the  very  but  of 
the  resentment  of  the  world,  except  his  few  followers;  he 
felt  himself  continually  surrounded  with  enemies,  laying- 
snares  for  his  life,  and  often  had  miraculously  to  deliver 
himself  out  of  their  hands:  they  watched  his  words,  and 
watched  his  conduct,  and  were  always  ready  to  find  fault 
with  every  thing  he  spoke  or  did.  This  was  surely  not  a 
happy  state  to  live  in,  and  it  required  more  than  man  to 
support  under  it:  also  it  is  very  evident  that  it  was  his 
perfection  that  turned  the  world  against  him. 

Again,  Christ  was  supported  by  his  divinity,  and  it  is 
not  fair  to  compare  circumstances  with  our  blessed  Lord, 
for  he  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God.  Angels 
could  not  be  happy,  confined  in  the  company  of  devils; 
else  where  would  be  the  wisdom  of  God  in  appointing 
different  stations  finally  for  the  righteous  and  the  wicked? 
"  How  can  two  walk  together  except  they  be  agreed?"  It 
is  true  Christ  spent  thirty  years,  especially  three,  taber- 
nacling with  sinners;  but  he  was  God  as  well  as  man,  and 
with  all  he  suffered  much  grief  and  sorrow. 

Farther:  It  is  very  probable,  that  the  present  state  of 
this  world  would  not  be  suitable  for  a  perfectly  holy 
man:  not  only  the  sin  which  is  in  it,  and  sinners  abound- 
ing, which  we  have  considered  above;  but  even  the  law- 
ful employments  and  engagements  necessary  for  our  sup- 
port here,  being  often  very  difficult  and  perplexing, 
would  be  but  ill  suited  to  a  state  of  perfection.  Expe- 
rience abundantly  proves  that  this  world  is  jiot  friendly 
to  religion,  and  there  are  as  many  souls  lost  through  the 


483 
influence  of  what  ^^t  call  the  lawful  things  of  the  world 
as  perhaps  any  other  thint;.  I  readily  grant  that  religion 
inculcates  industry  and  frugality,  and  forbids  sloth  and 
idleness;   but  the  reason  is,  because  we  are  appointed  by 
God  to  live  here  by  the  sweat  of  our  flices,  and  he  com- 
mands that  he  who  will  not  work  should  not  eat.    Reli- 
gion  enjoins  obedience  to  all  God's  precepts;  hence  law- 
ful industry  makes  a  part  of  religion.  But  if  it  was  not 
necessary  for  us  to  labour  for  our  livelihood  while  we 
live  here,  religion  would  find  us  something  else  to  do 
than  to  grabble  after  this  world. 

Experience  larther  proves,  that  a  christian  in  a  very 
lively  frame  is  not  very  fit  for  worldly  employments:   I 
am  not  here  speaking  of  enthusiastic  flights  of  mere 
fancy,  but  the  rational  and  solid  exercises  of  true  reli- 
gion. How  often  the  christian  in  a  ver}  lively  time  for- 
gets  as  it  were  his  business.  The  mechanic  holds  his 
hammer  or  planestock  in  his  hand,  or  lays  it  down  to 
converse  awhile  and  gaze  upon  the  divine  glories  of  his 
Redeemer.   I  have  seen  the  farmer  hanging  over  or  rest- 
ing upon  the  handles  of  his  plough,  and  his  mind  taken 
up  with  the  glorious  subjects  of  religion;  and  when  the 
mind  gets  engrossed  with  religion  it  is  not  such  an  easy 
matter  to  call  it  oft'  to  the  cares  and  perplexities  of  the 
world.  If  this  is  the  case  with  a  soul  which  is  still  im- 
perfect,  how  must  it  feel  when  perfectly  shallowed  up  in 
the  divine  glory,  and  engaged  in  all  the  perfection  of  reli- 
gion? Could  the  farmer  conveniently  pitch  his  crop?  could 
he  plan  his  work?  or  could  he  feel  much  satisfliction  in 
his  daily  employment?  I  am  confident  of  one  thing,  he 
would  be  very  glad  of  the  return  of  the  sabbath,  and 
would  wish  for  heaven  where  his  sabbath  would  never 
end,  and  where  he  would  not  be  interrupted  in  his  hap- 

phiess. 

While  Adam  was  perfect  he  was  continued  in  paradise, 
hved  on  fruit,  and  had  plenty  without  labour;  he  was  to 


484 

dress  and  keep  the  garden  it  is  true,  but  what  the  word 
dress  means  I  know  not;  perhaps  Moses  only  adopted 
the  word  dress  alluding  to  the  customs  of  the  world 
in  keeping  gardens,  which  is  always  esteemed  delicate 
business:  but  let  it  mean  what  it  will  it  was  not  labour. 
But  when  he  had  sinned,  then,  and  then  only,  he  was  qua- 
lified to  make  his  living  out  of  the  ground  by  the  sweat 
of  his  brow.  It  is  also  worthy  of  a  remark,  that  heaven 
is  called  Paradise,  with  an  allusion  to  the  garden  of  Eden, 
where  christians  will  enjoy  a  state  of  perfection  again. 

Another  reason  may  be,  for  the  imperfection  of  holi- 
ness in  this  life,  that  it  would  more  fully  manifest  the 
glory  of  the  Redeemer.  It  must  show  goodness,  faithful- 
ness, wisdom  and  power  to  an  infinite  degree  indeed,  to 
make  a  poor,  weak,  imperfect  worm  triumph  over  death 
and  hell.  Paul  seems  to  h  ive  this  idea  when  he  could  not 
get  the  thorn  removed,  but  only  a  promise  of  support 
under  it:  he  immediately  gloried  in  his  infirmities  that 
the  power  of  Christ  rnight  rest  upon  him.  Saints  are  re- 
presented arriving  to  heaven  as  coming  out  of  great  tri- 
bulation; and  God  permitted  Pharaoh  to  harass  the 
Israelites,  and  keep  them  sometime  in  hard,  bondage, 
that  he  might  get  him  glory  in  bringing  his  people  out 
with  a  high  hand. 

I  might  add  to  this,  that  if  sanctification  was  perfect 
saints  would  not  have  any  conflict.  In  order  to  perfection 
there  must  be  such  a  full  manifestation  of  the  divine  glory 
that  there  would  remain  no  struggle  betwixt  grace  and 
sin.  The  believer  would  consequently  lose  his  laurels  of 
victory  in  a  spiritual  warfare.  Paul  could  tell  Timoihy 
near  the  close  of  his  life,  that  he  had  fought  a  good  fight 
and  kept  the  faith,  and  therefore  there  was  a  crown  laid 
up  for  him  against  that  day.  It  is  a  peculiar  glory  to 
Christ  to  place  the  crown  of  victory  on  the  heads  of  his 
followers,  and  it  is  the  glory  of  the  christian  to  receive 
it;  but  both  Christ  and  his  people  would  lose  thiit  glory 


485 

if  holiness  was  perfect  here,  because  there  would  be  no 
warldrc. 

In  the  last  pla('c:  It  perhaps  would  be  an  inijijoshiblc 
case.  It  .^icems  preity  evident,  from  the  natine  ol  holiness 
and  the  constitution  of  the  human  body  in  its  mortal 
slate,  and  also  from  some  things  in  the  bible,  that  perfect 
holiness  would  take  the  life  in  a  moment.  If  so,  there 
can  possibly  be  no  such  thing  as  perfection  in  this  life. 

1.  Holiness  is  a  conformity  to  God.  Perfect  holiness 
is  a  perfect  conformity  to  God.  But  the  question  is,  how 
is  it  obtained?  In  order  perfectly  to  sanctify  at  once, 
there  must  be  a  full  nianifestation  of  tlie  glory  of  God, 
instantaneously  made  to  the  sinner,  to  transform  him 
into  the  same  image,  so  that  the  whole  soul  must  be 
swallowed  up  in  the  transcendant  beauty  of  the  divine 
perfections:  this  is  what  the  soul  will  enjoy  after  death. 
Hence  the  apostle  John  says,  "  when  lie  shall  appear,  we 
*'  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  Christ 
says,  "  the  angels  do  always  behold  the  face  of  my  Father 
*'  who  is  in  heaven;"  and  he  prays  that  his  people  may 
be  with  him  where  he  is,  that  they  may  behold  his  glory. 
But  who  could  bear  such  glory  in  this  mortal  state? 
"  Flesh  and  blood  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom  of  Gud." 
Therefore, 

2.  The  human  body  is  not  strong  enough  to  bear  such 
a  full  manifestation  of  the  divine  excellence.  The  body 
of  Adam  was  immortal:  God  alone  has  immortality;  (1 
Tim.  6.  16.)  all  other  beings  are  dependent,  and  are  im- 
mortal only  when  God  supports  them,  and  renders  them 
so  by  his  sustaining  power;  and  he  will  never  suftlr  a 
creature  to  die  that  has  no  guilt.  Devils  cannot  die,  be- 
cause God  will  p.ot  suftcr  them  to  die;  and  so  as  to  the 
souls  and  bodies  of  the  damned  in  hell.  But  he  has  de- 
termined that  our  bodies  must  die,  and  he  has  formed 
them  with  such  a  contexture  that  several  things  will  cause 
a  dissolution  to  take  place.  It  is  evident  irom  exj)erience 
in  a  thousand  instances,  that  the  human  constitution  can 


486 

not  stand  a  violent  shock,  either  from  air,  electricity  or 
other  external  things;  but  even  shocks  upon  the  mind  have 
often  proved  fatal  to  mankind.  Although  we  may  be  very 
unable  to  account  for  it,  yet  we  find,  in  fact,  that  it  is  the 
case.  Sudden  joy  or  sudden  grief,  sudden  frights  or  sud- 
den ecstacies,  all  have  made  their  victims;  and  we  cannot 
well  deny,  but  that  such  a  sudden  blaze  of  divine  glory 
as  would  be  necessary  to  transform  a  sinner  to  a  perfect 
saint,  and  cause  him  to  be  immediately  divested  of  every 
the  least  imperfection,  and  completely  swallowed  up  in 
spoiless  perfection,  would  leave  the  frail  body  lifeless  im- 
mediately. I  say  this  cannot  be  well  denied  when  we  have 
often  seen  infinitely  less  things  do  it.  For  instance,  when 
the  door-keeper  of  the  congress  in  Philadelphia  dropped 
dead  in  a  transport  of  joy  on  hearing  of  the  capture  of 
Cornwallis;  when  old  Eli  and  his  daughter  both  died  on 
hearing  that  the  ark  of  God  was  taken  by  the  Philistines; 
when  the  keepers  at  the  sepulchre  of  Christ  became  as 
dead  men  at  the  sight  of  the  angel. 

Again :  when  we  have  in  the  late  wonderful  revival  seen 
hundreds  lying  motionless,  and  to  appearance  dead,  for 
hours,  under  divine  impressions;  some  dropping  in  an 
instant,  as  if  by  a  fatal  shot;  others  convulsed  and  dis- 
torted; when  at  the  same  time  they  fell  vastly  short  of  per- 
fection; how  can  we  suppose  that  the  body  could  stand 
the  perfection  of  glory?  We  must  certainly  adopt  the 
emphatical  proverb,  he  that  is  faultless  is  lifeless:  it  must 
be  an  impossible  case  to  be  perfect  and  live  here. 

Here  you  must  remember  that  the  divinity  of  Christ 
supported  his  body  in  a  state  of  perfection;  and,  for  what 
we  know,  perhaps  the  sudden  return  of  the  divine  glory 
of  his  Father,  after  suffering  an  awful  time  of  desertion, 
and  a  withdrawment  of  divine  support  took  his  life  at 
last. 

3.  There  are  things  recorded  in  scripture  that  greatly 
favour  this  sentiment.  It  is  not  improbable  but  the  apostle 


487 

to  Timothy  speaks  on  these  very  principles:  (ch.  6.  16.) 
"  Who  only  hath  immortaUty,  dwelling  in  the  light,  which 
"  no  man  can  approach  unto,  whom  no  man  hath  seen  nor 
"  can  see."  Moses  prayed  to  God,  (Ex.  33.  18.)  "  I  be- 
"  seech  thee,  show  me  thy  glory."  But  God  said,  (v.  20.) 
"  thou  canst  not  see  my  face,  for  there  shall  no  man  see 
"  me  and  live.  (v.  22.  23.)  It  shall  come  to  pass,  while 
"  my  glory  passeth  by,  that  I  will  put  thee  in  a  cleft  of 
"  the  rock,  and  will  cover  thee  with  mine  hand,  while  I 
"  pass  by.  And  I  will  take  away  mine  hand,  and  thou 
^'  shalt  see  my  back  parts;   but  my  face  shall  not  be 

"  seen." 

Probably  from  this  circumstance  it  became  a  received 
notion  among  the  ancients,  tiiat  if  any  man  saw  God  he 
would  die.  And  when  God  talked  with  Moses  face  to  face, 
yet  he  did  not  show  him  his  glory  in  the  sense  he  re- 
quested, he  could  not  do  it  without  taking  his  life.  Per- 
haps  he  answered  his  prayer  on  mount  Nebo  on  the  top 
of  Pisgah,  where  he  showed  him  the  promised  land;  and 
may  be  through  the  type  of  the  earthly  Canaan,  he  gave 
him  a  view  of  the  glory  of  heaven.  But  this  is  conjecture; 
yet  it  is  a  possible  case,  and  no  doubt  it  would  be  as 
sweet,  and  as  easy,  and  as  quick  a  death,  as  Moses  could 

have  died. 

St.  John,  (Rev.  1. 17.)  when  he  saw  a  vision  of  Christ, 
fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  St.  Paul,  in  his  vision  of  the  third 
heavens,  did  not  know  whether  he  was  in  the  body  or  out 

of  the  body. 

Upon  the  whole  I  will  leave  the  reasons  which  I  have 
given  with  my  reader:  he  may  judge  whether  they  arc 
satisflictory  or  not;  but  I  cannot  think  them  altogether 
inconclusive.  But  God  knows  his  .own  reasons  best; 
and  we  find  from  scripture  that  sanctification  is  imperfect 
in  this  life,  and  I  hope  we  will  be  able  to  acquiesce  in  his 
o-lorious  plan.  We  must  struggle  with  sin  and  temptation 


488 

a  little  while;  but  while  the  conflict  lasts  we  may  encou- 
rage ourselves  with  the  assurance  of  a  glorious  victory  in 
the  end.  For  God  has  promised  that  where  he  has  begun 
a  good  work  he  will  perform  it  till  the  day  of  Christ.  He 
will  make  us  fViithful  unto  death  and  then  he  will  give 
us  a  crown  of  life. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  nature  and  progress  of  sanctijication. 

When  the  sinner  is  interested  in  Christ  by  faith,  and 
the  divine  Spirit  has  begun  the  great  work  of  •siijv.jion 
in  the  heart,  having,  so  to  speak,  planted  the  seeds  of  hi 
liness  by  regeneration,  he  never  deserts  his  work,  but 
takes  up  his  abode  in  the  believer,  with  the  design  to  re- 
store the  image  of  God  fully  to  his  soul. 

Sanctification  is  therefore  to  make  a  sinner  holy.  It  is 
not  itself  holiness,  but  holiness  is  the  effect  of  it;  and  it 
is  the  w^ork  of  God  in  the  heart  producing  it.  Conse- 
quently sanctification  is  the  continuation  of  divine  illumi- 
nation, or  the  continued  manifestationsof  the  excellencies 
of  holiness  to  the  soul,  by  which  the  soul  is  kept  stead- 
fastly possessing,  less  or  more,  a  disposition  towards  God 
and  holiness.  Although  the  christian  does,  in  the  general, 
grow  in  grace,  yet  it  is  not  essential  to  the  work  of  sanc- 
tification,  that  he  continually  should  advance  in  holiness; 
for,  even  if  he  should  not  advance  in  the  least  degree  in  his 
conformity  to  God  in  the  temper  of  his  heart,  or  in  his 
life  and  conversation,  for  any  given  time,  say  one  year 
or  ten  years,  yet  the  work  of  sanctification  is  going  on;  it 
is  continued  let  the  christian  advance  in  holiness  or  not. 
Yea,  even  when  the  christuin  is  on  the  decline,  and  through 
the  influence  of  false  motives  falls  into  sin,  yet  still  the 
work  of  sanctification  is  continued. 


489 

This  startles  my  reader.  How  is  it  possible,  says  he, 
that  sauctification  can  be  going  on,  w  hen  the  ehristian  is 
standing  still  or  going  !)acku'ard?  I  ask,  how  is  it  possible 
for  a  farmer  or  tradesman  or  merchant,  to  be  very  in- 
dustrious,  and  yet  get  no  richer,  and  do  nothing  more 
thiMi  keep  his  family  on  common  allowance?  or,  if  any 
misfortune  happens  him,  as  he  calls  it,  although  he  has 
laboured  equally  hard,  or  perhaps  more  so,  yet  he  is 
worse  oft' this  year  than  he  was  last?  So  it  is  in  sanctifi- 
cation.  Sanctification  is  not  the  progress  of  a  christian: 
this  is  only  the  effect;  that  is  the  cause.  Sanctification  is 
not  a  seed  planted,  which  grows  of  itself  Regeneration 
plants  the  seed:  sanctification  operates  like  the  sun  and 
rain,  and  does  one  of  three  things:  it  keeps  it  from  dying 
altogether,  or  it  keeps  it  as  green  and  flourishing  as  it 
was  before,  or  it  makes  it  flourish  and  thrive.  The  life, 
or  even  the  luxuriance  of  the  plant,  is  not  the  sun  and 
rain,  but  the  effect  they  produce  on  it.  So  the  spiritual 
life  of  the  christian  or  the  growth  of  the  christian  is  not 
sanctification,  but  the  effect  of  it;  and  for  holiness  to  con% 
tinue  in  ever  so^small  a  degree,  or  to  increase,  or  to  be 
at  a  stand,  it  still  requires  sanctification.  If  sanctifiaction 
should  cease,  the  christian  would  immediately  cease  to  be 
a  saint;  and  nothing  could  keep  him  from  falling  from 
grace,  except  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ.  But 
if  the  righteousness  oi'  Christ  would  not  prevent  sanctifi. 
cation  from  ceasing,  it  would  not  prevent  the  final  ruin 
of  the  soul. 

We  therefore  conclude,  that  sanctification  is  what  we 
have  said,  viz.  the  continuation  of  divine  illumination,  or 
the  continued  manifestations  of  the  excellencies  of  holi- 
ness to  the  soul;  by  which  the  soul  is  won  over  to  the 
choice  and  approbation  of  that  w  hich  is  good,  and  hates 
and  abhors  that  which  is  evil.  The  holy  Spirit  communi- 
cating divine  truth  to  the  soul  and  continuing  to  do  so, 
more  or  less,  is  the  whole  work  of  sanctification,  unJej^ 


490 

you  take  into  view  the  influence  and  care  which  is  em 
ployed,  through  the  glorious  management  and  directioii 
which  Christ  has  over  the  universe  in  preventing  temp- 
tations to  sin;  and  indeed  this  is  to  be  taken  into  our 
view  of  sanctification.  The  apostle  is  very  plain  on  this 
subject  in  1  Cor.  10,  13:  "  There  is  no  temptation  taken 
''  you,  but  such  as  is  common  to  man.  But  God  is  faith - 
''  ful,  who  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above  that 
"  ye  are  able,  but  will,  with  the  temptation,  also  make  a 
"  way  to  escape,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  bear  it." 

We  are  changeable  creatures.  Our  lack  or  imperfection 
in  knowledge  renders  us  so.  Any  being  who  is  of  himself 
completely  perfect  in  knowledge,  must  be  unchangeable. 
It  would  be  morally  impossible  for  a  new  motive  to  be 
presented  to  his  mind:  and  it  is  impossible  for  the  will  to 
change  without  a  new  motive.  But  infinite  perfection  in 
knowledge  would  cause  every  object  or  possible  occur- 
rence to  stand  for  ever  present  to  view,  and  consequently 
the  mind  would  be  eternally  influenced  the  same  way,  and 
it  would  be  morally  impossible  for  that  being  ever  to  be 
any  thing  else  than  what  he  is.  If  any  being  had  a  motive 
which  never  was  in  view  before,  and  admit  it  to  be  strong- 
enough,  it  would  and  it  must  change  him  in  a  moment: 
or,  suffer  an  influential  motive  to  be  forgotten  or  to  go  out 
of  view,  and  an  alteration  would  take  place  immediately. 
But  either  of  those  would  suppose  imperfection  in  know- 
ledge: so  that  it  is  plain  that  God's  perfect  knowledge 
makes  him  unchangeable. 

Altliough  angels  and  saints  in  heaven  grow  in  their 
knowledge,  yet  we  cannot  say  that  they  alter  or  choose 
different  things  from  what  they  did  before.  Nevertheless 
acquiring  clearer  conception  of  the  same  objects,  their  will 
acts  more  vigorously;  which  is  a  change  in  reality,  yet 
only  to  a  higher  degree  of  the  same  things;  and  even  this 
is  not  of  themselves  but  of  God,  who  continues  to  give 
them  knowledge,  and  more  and  more  knowledge  of  those 
things.  So  that  angels  of  themselves  are  infinitely  for  from 


491 

unchangcability,throuG;h  their  imperfection  in  kMowicdgt, 
and  wliat  degree  of  sameness  so  to  speak  they  have,  the}- 
are  dependent  on  God  for  it:  so  that  they  are  really 
changeable  creatures  with  all  their  stability  and  glory. 

There  is  a  sense  in  uhicii  both  the  angels  in  heaven 
and  i^elievers  even  on  earth  are  unchangeable,  viz.  by  the 
unchangeable  truth  and  foithfulness  of  God  in  his  pro- 
mises to  give  them  knowledge,  which  furnishes  them 
w'nh  motives;  and  consequently  they  remain  steadfast 
through  the  faithfulness  of  God.  On  tiiis  very  principle 
the  angels  are  established  in  heaven;  and  believers  on 
earth  persevere  in  holiness.  All  motives  to  good  come  by 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth:  all  motives  to  evil  come  by 
falsehood.  The  \\  ork  of  sanctification  consequently  is  to 
give  us  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and 
to  guard  us  from  falsehood. 

This  accounts  for  the  wonderful  conduct  of  God  to- 
wards all  his  creatures,  in  entering  into  a  covenant  with 
them.  There  can  be  no  establishment  without  promises: 
creatures  could  have  nothing  to  depend  on,  and  consc- 
quentlv  could  not  be  happy.  But  there  can  be  no  promises 
without  a  covenant  or  agreement  of  some  kind.  Sanctifi- 
cation is  the  fulfilment  of  the  promises  of  the  covenant 
which  relates  to  holiness,  and  therefore  consists  in  tlie 
communication  of  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  which  al- 
ways influences  the  mind  to  that  which  is  right,  and  in 
counteracting  falsehood,  which  always  inclines  the  mind 
to  evil.* 

*  How  awfully  dangerous  il  is  to  preach  errors;  and  what  a  world 
of  mischief  is  done  by  it.  I  tyrant  every  error  is  not  fatal,  because 
there  may  be  truth  enough  to  preponderate.  Rut  errors  in  the  leading: 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  must  be  fatal  to  the  soul.  Unless  sinners  are 
persuaded  to  come,  lost  and  ruined  as  they  arc  by  nature,  to  Christ 
for  every  p?rt  of  salvation,  they  must  for  ever  remain  in  a  state  of 
death  and  sin.  To  persuade  sinners  to  endeavour  to  repent  and  re- 
form, and  prepare  themselves  for  a  reception  from  Christ  is  rank 
poison  to  the  soul.  To  persuade  sinners  vho  arc  under  ihr  curse  ol 


492 

when  the  divine  Spirit  causes  the  divine  glory  to  shine 
into  the  soul,  then  it  is  sanctified;  and  the  causing  the 
glory  of  God  to  be  manifested  to  the  soul  is  the  work  of 
sanctification.  Some  times  these  manifestations  are  much 
clearer  than  at  other  times.  The  clearer  the  soul  views 
the  divine  perfections,  the  more  it  will  be  engaged  and 
exercised  in  holiness,  and  so  vice  versa. 

Christ  continuing  to  grant  these  divine  discoveries  to 
the  soul  by  his  Spirit  and  word,  is  the  progress  of  sancti- 
iication;  and  is  all  in  consequence  of  faith.  This  work  will 
never  cease  before  the  whole  is  complete,  even  until  the 
believer  becomes  a  perfect  man  in  Christ  Jesus.  Sanctifi- 
cation  progresses,  or  continues  while  ever  the  soul  has 
discoveries  of  the  excellence  of  holiness;  let  those  disco- 
veries be  ever  so  faint,  3^et  they  will  have  their  effect  to 
incline  the  soul  to  that  which  is  morally  excellent,  and 
consequently  to  conform  it  to  the  image  of  God.  Holi- 
ness progresses,  when  those  divine  manifestations  become 
brighter  and  brighter,  and  brings  the  soul  to  a  greater  con- 
formity to  the  divine  will. 

I  will  not  here  inquire  whether  the  word  sanctification 
is  proper  to  express  those  continual  manifestations  of  mo- 
ral excellence  to  saints  and  angels  in  heaven  which  con- 
tinue them  in  a  state  of  holiness;  or  those  manifestations 
to  Adam  when  he  was  first  created,  and  promised  to  him 
in  the  covenant  of  works,  had  he  fulfilled  the  condition 
of  that  covenant.  No  doubt,  strictly  speaking,  the  whole 
is  properly  sanctification;  for  whatever  makes  holy  is  sanc- 
tification: yet  the  most  natural  idea  tons  is  that  sanctifica- 
tion is  the  making  a  sinner  holy.  This  is  truly  a  marvel- 
lous work.  Thai  God  should  reveal  himself  in  the  trans- 
God's  law  to  obtain  holiness  by  a  regular  life,  and  strive  to  keep  the 
divine  law,  is  a  miserable  attempt  to  persuade  to  impossibilities,  and 
a  barefaced  attack  upon  the  cross  of  Christ.  The  condition  of  the 
gospel  is  faith;  :ind  siimers  have  no  other  shift  for  life,  holiness  and 
happiness,  but  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Chirst. 


493 

ccndent  glory  of  his  excellence  to  an  innocent  creature  is 
not  birangc;  but  that  he  siiouid  grant  such  au  iiustunable 
blessing  to  a  sinner  who  had  forfeited  his  right  to  every 
favour,  and  do  it  through  the  wonderful  atonement  of  his 
dear  Son,  is  such  a  favour  that  it  attracts  our  attention,  and 
seems  to  coniine  our  ideas  of  sanctification  to  ourselves  as 
the  proper  subjects  of  it;  and  it  must  be  at  least  granted, 
that  in  making  a  sinner  holy  is  the  most  glorious  display 
of  saHCtification.  This  ver}  circumstance  leads  us  in  our 
definitions  to  say,  sanctification  is  the  making  a  sinner 
holy;  even  bringing  him,  who  is  by  nature  opposed  to  God 
and  holiness,  to  a  conformity  to  the  image  of  God. 

There  is  nothing  more  certain  than  the  progress  of 
sanctification  administered  by  Jesus  Christ  through  the 
Spirit  by  the  word,  according  to  the  covenant  of  grace, 
to  those  who  are  interested  in  him  by  faith.  The  promises 
are  yea  and  amen  in  Christ:  Yea,  in  the  affirmative;  amen, 
in  the  certainty  of  the  performance  of  the  things  affirmed. 
The  engagements  on  God's  part  in  the  covenant  of  works 
were  conditionary;  so  that  in  Adam  the  proposals  of 
blessings  to  him  and  his  seed  were  not  yea,  nor  amen; 
the)  were  neither  affirmed  nor  yet  made  sure;  there  being 
no  establishment  pronounced,  but  all  suspended  on  the 
condition  until  it  was  performed.  But  in  Christ,  the  head 
of  the  new  covenant,  every  thing  is  made  sure  to  the  be- 
liever; Christ  being  faithful  and  infallible,  and  also  having 
really  fulfilled  the  conditions  of  the  covenant.  Therefore 
the  blessings  promised  to  the  believer  arc  not  condi- 
tionary things,  but  emphatically  yea  and  amen,  so  let 
it  be. 

The  sum  and  substance  of  the  promises  of  the  gospel 
to  the  believer,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  relate  to  the 
conformity  of  his  heart  to  the  image  of  God.  "  All  scrip 
"  ture  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  &:c.  that  the  man  of  God 
**  my  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good 
"  works;"  so  that  the  work  of  sanctification  goes  on,  and 


/    '  494 

Aviii  go  on  by  the  faithful  fiilfihnent  of  those  promises, 
until  the  believer,  being-  admitted  finally  to  a  full  view  of 
the  divine  glory,  ^vill  be  complete  in  holiness,  "  and 
"  without  blame  before  him  in  love,  not  having  spot  or 
"  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing." 

It  is  consequently  the  duty  of  every  sinner  who  enjoys 
the  opportunity  of  the  gospel  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  not 
to  go  about  to  establish  a  righteousness  of  his  own.  I  re- 
peat it  again,  and  I  wish  it  to  be  ever  remembered,  that 
every  attempt  to  mend  the  heart  is  vain  and  wicked,  and 
will  inevitable  end  in  eternal  ruin,  except  we  believe  in 
Christ;  but  a  grain  of  faith,  not  greater  than  a  mustard 
seed,  will  eventually  sanctify  the  vilest  sinner"  Fly  to 
Christ,  who  only  is  the  light  of  the  world  and  the  life  of 
men,  and  you  will  be  interested  in  all  the  promises  of 
salvation.  "But  if  you  refuse  and  rebel,  ye  shall  be  de- 
*'  vourcd  with  the  sword:  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
"  spoken  it."' 


CHAPTER  XL 

Holiness,  its  nature,  Sec. 

The  eft'ect  of  sanctification  is  holines  in  heart,  and  in 
llie  life  and  conversation.  Holiness  is  called  the  aggregate 
of  the  divine  perfections;  it  is  therefore  the  glory  of  God. 
Holiness  is  also  the  excellence  and  glory  of  a  christian. 
It  makes  him  like  God.  It  renders  him  lovely,  adorns  his 
heart  and  life  Vv'ith  moral  excellence;  and  prepares  him 
for  heaven  and  eternal  glory.  In  treating  this  important 
subject  I  observe, 

1.  That  holiness  is  in  itself  the  disposition  of  the  mind 
toward  that  which  is  morally  right.  It  is  the  direct  oppo- 
site of  sin.  The  divine  w\\\  being  unchangeably  disposed 
or  inclined  to  c/ery  thing  morally  excellent,  constitutes 


495 

his  moral  excellence;  and  God  is  consequently  iiilinitcl\ 
holy.  Holiness  is  excellent,  mid  glorious  in  itself:  (iodis 
is  excellent  and  glorious,  because  he  is  holy.  God  daes 
not  render  holiness  glorious;  but  holiness  is  God's  glorv. 
Sin  is  not  base  because  the  devil  is  a  sinner;  for  sin  would 
be  equally  base  if  there  never  had  been  a  devil.  An  angel 
is  glorious  because  he  is  holy;  but  holiness  would  be  glo- 
rious if  there  never  had  been  an  angel. 

But  although  we  cannot  possibly  concei\'C  or  have  an 
idea  of  there  being  no  God,  nor  yet  can  we  easily  have  an 
idea  of  his  doing  any  thing  wrong,  or  having  any  wrong 
disposition;  yet  we  can  easily  see  that  holiness  is  his 
glory,  because  holiness  is  in  itself  right.  Holiness  is  not  a 
creature;  it  caimot  be  created;  neither  is  it  a  being;  it  has 
no  existence;  it  is  only  the  disposition  of  the  mind  of  a 
being  or  a  creature  which  does  exist,  or  is  created;  and 
that  disposition  renders  that  being  lovely,  because  it  is 
tow  ards  that  v\  hich  is  morally  excellerit.  The  standard  of 
lioliness  is  the  moral  law.  1  do  not  mean  by  the  mo- 
ral law  the  ten  commandments  literally;  but  that  eternal 
law  of  equity  and  rectitude  which  is  the  fundamental 
principle  of  every  just  law  of  a  moral  nature.  This  law 
takes  cognisance  of  the  mind  and  conduct  of  all  beings 
?;apable  of  moral  government,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest;  and  they  are  holy  or  unholy  according  as  the\- 
Lire  conformed  to  this  law  or  not. 

God  is  infinitely  and  eternally  conformed  to  it;  and 
therefore  he  is  infinitely  holy.  Angels  are  perfectlv  con- 
formed to  it,  and  are  therefore  perfectl}'  holy.  Adam  was 
perfectly  conformed  to  it;  he  was  consequently  perfectly- 
holy.  Satan  broke  this  law  and  became  a  devil:  Adam 
broke  it,  after  he  broke  co\cnant  with  God,  and  became 
a  sinner.  By  the  effect  of  sanctification  believers  in  Christ 
are  partly  conformed  to  this  law,  and  are  consequently  im. 
perfectly  holy.  When  the  gospel  has  its  full  effect  and  the 
work  of  salvation  completed,  then  they  will  ajrain  br 


496 

brought  to  a  perfect  conformity  to  this  law,  and  conse- 
quently will  be  perfect  in  holiness,  and  fit  inhabitants  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

2.  Holiness  originates  in  the  will.  It  is  impossible  for  a 
man  to  do  one  thing  holy  until  he  has  holiness  in  his 
heart:  he  must  choose  and  love  that  which  is  morally 
right,  before  he  can  be  holy  in  any  part  of  his  conduct. 
The  will  is  choosing  or  choice.  When  a  man  chooses,  or 
makes  choice,  his  will  is  exercised  in  doing  so.  The  will 
holding  to  or  continuing  in  its  choice  of  any  object  with 
firmness,  is  the  disposition  of  the  mind.  The  will  acting 
vigorously  towards  its  object,  the  mind  being  engrossed 
or  taken  up  with  it,  is  affection;  at  least  the  affection 
of  love.  When  the  will  acts  more  vigorously  still  towards 
the  object,  so  that  the  mind  is  in  a  high  degree  affected, 
we  call  it  the  passions  of  the  mind.  Again,  when  the  will 
exerts  its  utmost  strength,  and  the  mind  is,  as  it  were, 
swallowed  up  with  the  object,  then  it  gets  the  name  of 
ecstasy. 

If  the  man  chooses  that  which  is  morally  good,  in- 
influenced  or  moved  thereunto  by  the  moral  excellence 
of  the  thing,  there  must  be  holiness  in  all  these  different 
moods  of  the  will;  yet  it  must  be  acknowleged,  that  the 
most  natural  and  eligible  place  for  holiness  is  in  the  dis- 
position and  the  affections.  Perhaps  I  might  venture  to 
say,  when  the  christian  possesses  a  steady  disposition  and 
regular  affection  towards  that  which  is  good,  he  is  more 
like  God  than  in  any  other  state  of  mind  whatsoever.  When 
he  has  a  simple  choice,  his  mind  just  preponderating,  so 
to  speak,  towards  moral  rectitude,  he  makes  a  dull,  sleepy^ 
inactive  christian.  You  must  be  long  acquainted  with  him 
before  you  can  guess  whether  he  is  a  christian,  or  a  mere 
formalist.  When  a  man  possesses  a  steady  disposition 
toward  holiness,  he  makes  a  uniform,  steady  and  respect- 
able christian:  he  makes  a  respectable  member  of  the 
church,  and  is  justly  considered  as  an  honour  '.o  religion. 
When  a  christian  possesses  a  steady  and  uniform  affection. 


497 

or  in  other  w  orcis,  wlicn  liis  affections  are  generally  in  a 
natural  and  even  How  towards  God  and  holiness,  he  is  a 
most  agreeable,  lovely  person;  his  company  is  courted 
and  when  enjoyed  it  is  fine  and  profitable.  When  a  chris- 
tian is  full  of  passion  and  always  flying,  he  is  apt  to  be 
turbulent,  and  makes  a  great  many  blunders,  and  gets 
many  a  broken  bone  by  his  rapidity  and  downfals;  but 
when  the  christian  is  ecstatic,  none  but  God  can  manage 
him. 

3.  Holiness  extends  to  the  life  and  conversation.  Here 
is  a  wide  range  indeed.  In  ^^'hatever  sphere  a  man  acts  in 
the  various  circumstances  and  conditions  of  life,  his  whole 
conduct  will  savour  of  the  disposition  of  his  heart;  and  if 
his  heart  is  holy  his  conduct  will  be  holy  also.  The  circle 
of  public  life,  amidst  the  important  business  of  church 
and  state,  exhibits  holiness.  In  the  more  retired  business 
of  common  life,  in  whatever  department  or  occupation  the 
man  may  act,  his  actions  will  be  tinctured  with  holiness:  ho 
liness  is  exhibited  in  all  the  intercourse  betwixt  man  and 
man.  Truth,  faithfulness,  benevolence  and  charity,  will 
mark  the  conduct  of  the  holy  man.  In  all  his  dealings  with 
his  neighbour,  righteousness  is  his  peculiar  characteristic; 
and  he  always  feels  a  cheerfulness  to  relieve  the  poor,  to 
succour  the  need}',  and  to  act  for  the  happiness  and 
comfort  of  all  around  him. 

Perhaps  you  are  now  ready  to  say,  this  is  to  carry  mat- 
ters to  a  very  great  extent.  It  is  so  indeed,  but  not  too  far 
for  the  true  nature  of  holiness  to  extend.  It  is  to  be  la- 
mented that  we  are  \  cry  far  fiom  perfection  in  these  things, 
both  in  heart  and  life;  but  wherein  we  come  short,  it  is 
through  our  imperfection  in  holiness.  Yet  there  are  in- 
stances, not  a  few,  of  christians,  even  in  this  imperfect 
state,  who  have  been  exemplary  and  honourable  to  the 
christian  religion  in  all  those  things. 

The  holiness  of  an  artion  depends  principally  upon  two 
things.  The  thing  it'jlf  must  be  lawful;  and  it  must  be 

3R 


498 

done  with  a  right  temper  of  mind,  or  from  right  motives. 
No  action  in  itself  wrong  can  be  made  holy  from  the  best 
possible  disposition:  even  an  angel  would  not  be  holy  were 
he  to  do  wrong  with  a  good  design.  ]  grant  that  a  good 
intention  may  soften  or  mitigate  the  criminality  of  the  man, 
because  the  wickedness  of  the  heart  is  not  added  to  the 
criminality  of  the  action;  but  the  goodness  of  the  heart 
cannot  make  that  right  which  is  unlawful.  When  a  good 
man  does  a  bad  action  with  a  good  design,  he  acts  under  a 
mistake;  the  motive  which  led  him  to  it  was  a  false  mo- 
tive; but  it  is  impossible  for  ignorance  or  falsehood  to  pro- 
duce holiness.  But  supposing  the  action  to  be  right,  yet 
it  must  be  performed  from  a  right  disposition;  he  who  per- 
forms it  must  be  moved  thereunto  by  the  moral  excel- 
lence of  the  thing  itself,  as  agreeable  in  the  sight  of  God 
and  his  holy  law.  Only  admit  these  two  things  and  the  ac- 
tion will  be  holy;  or  in  other  words,  the  man  who  performs 
it  will  be  holy  in  so  doing. 

Again,  holiness  is  exhibited  in  the  conversation,  or 
converse  of  the  holy  man.  There  are  many  who  are  very 
orderly  in  their  lives,  and  even  reserve  and  modest  in  their 
words,  who  yet  do  not  exhibit  holiness  in  any  thing  they 
do.  There  is  an  earnestness  or  heartiness  in  conversation, 
and  also  there  is  a  certain  dryness  which  is  manifest:  by 
these  different  modes  of  conversation,  we  are  sure  to  judge 
of  the  real  state  of  the  mind;  and  va  e  seldom  miss  the  mark. 
I  think  I  am  not  far  wrong  when  1  observe,  that  the  holy 
temper  of  a  man's  heart  is  as  clearly  seen  in  a  fireside  chat 
as  any  other  way;  but  still  there  are  allowances  to  be  made 
for  the  natural  turn  for  familiar  conversation. 

Lastly,  holiness  is  manifested  in  our  duties  which  we 
owe  to  God.  This  is  truly  a  kind  of  heavenly  holiness: 
it  is  hard  to  counterfeit  here.  The  christian  feels  true  de- 
light when  he  is  conversing  with  God.  He  feels  it  a  hap- 
piness that  it  his  duty  to  wait  upon  God:  he  -counts  it  no 
less  a  privilege  than  a  duty.   When  he  thinks  of  God, 


499 

when  he  reads  his  word,  attends  to  his  ordinances,  and 
holds  interviews  with  him  in  pra}er,  not  only  in  public, 
but  also  in  the  closet;  although  he  feels  the  obligations 
of  duty,  yet  he  is  not  constrained  by  mere  duty  to  engage 
in  holy  worship,  but  his  heart  leads  him  along  as  to  a  ban- 
quet; he  goes,  like  David,  to  God  his  exceeding  joy.  It 
is  not  a  strange  thing  for  a  christian  to  be  glad  and  to  re- 
joice in  God;  and  when  he  is  providentially  prevented  from 
Waiting  upon  the  ordinances  of  God,  he  often  thirsts  like 
the  hunted  hart  pants  for  the  water  brooks. 

It  is  true,  the  christian  is  not  always  lively  in  his  holy 
exercises;  but  sometimes,  and  indeed  too  often,  has  his 
dull  and  sluggish  frames;  yet  this  is  the  natural  tendency 
of  a  holy  heart.  Let  the  blessed  bridegroom  put  in  his 
hand  at  the  hole  of  the  door,  and  the  spouse  will  soon 
feel  her  bowels  move  for  him. 

Thus  holiness  begins  in  the  heart,  captivates  the  affec- 
tions, and  God  who  is  infinitely  holy  becomes  the  beloved 
object;  and  every  thing  that  wears  his  image  is  loved  for 
the  sake  of  holiness.  The  word  of  God,  his  law,  his  gos- 
pel,  his  ordinances  and  his  people  are  all  the  objects  of  the 
believer's  affections.  The  heart  being  thus  engaged,  the 
holy  disposition  runs  through  all  the  various  branches  of 
the  christian's' duty,  and  causes  his  life  and  conversation 
to  be  such  as  becometh  the  gospel. 


560 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Repentance:  tlie  place  it  holds  in  religion;  some  jmstaken 
notions  ofit\  the  true  sense  of  the  word  in  several  pas- 
sages of  scripture. 

Delight  in  holiness  always  necessarily  supposes  a 
hatred  to  sin.  Sin  and  lioliness  being  direct  opposites,  he 
who  is  drawn  to  holiness  must  of  course  be  drawn  from 
sin.  To  hate  sin,  is  the  very  reverse  of  sinning;  conse- 
quently, to  hate  sin  is  a  material  article  in  holiness.  No 
person  will  ever  hate  sin  unless  he  loves  holiness;  and 
no  one  who  has  been  a  sinner  will  hate  sin  without  feeling 
sorrow  for  it;  therefore  that  most  rational  exercise  of  a 
christian's  heart  of  loving  holiness,  hating  sin,  and  being 
sorry  for  it,  is  called  repentance.  But  before  I  proceed  to 
inquire  into  the  nature  of  repentance,  I  must  make  an 
observation  or  two,  to  correct  some  mistaken  notions  on 
the  subject. 

1.  There  is  no  doctrine  in  the  bible  of  more  import- 
ance in  its  nature  than  repentance;  there  is  nothing 
more  reasonable  than  that  a  sinner  should  repent;  and 
there  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that  a  sinner  will  re- 
pent, whenever  he  is  made  the  subject  of  divine  grace. 
The  interesting  nature  of  repentance,  its  being  so  essen- 
tial to  religion,  and  one  of  tlie  peculiar  characteristics  of 
a  true  befiever,  have  made  many  serious  persons  mistake 
and  misplace  it.  It  is  often  made  the  condition  of  our 
salvation,  when  it  is  in  truth,  only  a  constituent  part  of  it; 
it  being  the  result  of  a  sinner's  loving  holiness.  It  is  often 
put  in  the  room  of  faith,  and  often  joined  with  it.  It  being 
works,  and  faith  being  grace,  sinners  are  naturally  fonder 
of  salvation  by  repentance  than  byf  aith.  Jlepentance, 
it  is  true,  is  a  bitter  pill;  but  it  savours  a  little  of  atone- 


501 

mcnt,  which  makes  it  much  more  grateful  to  a  proud 
heart,  than  the  humbUng  doctrine  of  faith  which  receives 
the  atonement  of  anotlier,  and  strips  tlie  sinner  of  every 
rag,  and  dresses  him  entirely  in  borrowed  garments,  and 
makes  him  repent  out  of  love  and  gratitude  to  his  kind 
Redeemer,  after  his  sins  are  forgiven.  This  is  very 
agreeable  exercise  to  an  ingenuous  humble  believer;  but 
it  goes  down  very  roughly  \vith  a  proud  selfish  sinner. 

Also  Satan  is  not  idle  in  seducing  serious  persons  to 
make  repentance  the  condition  of  their  interest  in  Christ. 
He  knows  the  sinner  can  only  repent  legally  like  himself 
until  he  believes;  and  he  cares  not  how  much  he  tries; 
for  he  never  can  get  an  interest  in  the  atonement  of  the 
cross  by  it.  It  is  therefore  so  much  time  lost,  and  the 
devil  gains  two  points  by  it;  he  makes  a  little  hell  to  tlie 
sinner  here,  l)y  the  pains  of  repentance  (f(jr  nothing  but 
a  sehse  of  pardon  can  make  repentance  agreeable);  and  he 
is  sure  of  his  prey  at  last;  for  if  the  sinner  would  weep 
the  very  soul  out  of  his  body  without  faith,  it  would  only 
be  out  of  hell  here  into  hell  for  ever. 

2.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  hear  such  expres- 
sions as  these:  If  you  do  not  repent  you  will  be  lost. 
Nothing  but  timous  repentance  can  save  a  sinner.  If 
you  believe  and  repent,  and  turn  to  God  you  will  find 
mercy.  God'forgives  the  penitent  sinner.  Repentance  is 
necessary  to  pardon:  qualifies  to  receive  pardon.  You 
cannot  receive  pardon  or  expect  pardon,  except  you  re- 
pent; and  many  such  expressions  as  these  are  in  common 
use  among  people  in  books  and  in  the  pulpit. 

All  such  expressions  ought  to  be  connected  with  very 
clear  gospel  doctrines,  and  well  defined,  and  well  under- 
stood, or  they  will  surely  lead  sinners  astray.  There  are 
certain  little  words  in  common  u.^f,  in  all  languages 
which  have  a  great  share  in  conmninieating  ideas.  In 
our  common  language  we  attach  certain  meanings,  to 
little  adverbs,  which  immediatelv  strike  our  mind  and 


502 

give  us  the  first  idea;  and  it  is  hard  to  alter  it  by  all  the  rules 
of  criticism:  such  as  these,  if^  except^  unless^  Sec.  and  these 
words  almost  always  give  us  the  idea  of  a  condition, 
and  we  ought  to  be  very  careful  what  we  make  the  con- 
dition of  our  salvation.  When  I  say,  "  if  I  have  religion 
"  I  will  repent;"  the  word  i/' makes  religion  the  condition 
of  repentance,  and  my  doctrine  is  good:  but  if  I  say, 
*'  if  I  repent  I  will  get  religion;"  here  repentance  is  the 
condition  on  which  I  obtain  religion,  and  my  doctrine  is 
legal  and  false.  If  you  say,  "  you  cannot  obtain  pardon 
"except you  repent;"  the  word  except^  makes  repentance 
the  condition  of  pardon,  which  is  wrong:  but  if  you  say, 
**  if  you  repent  you  are  pardoned;"  pardon  is  made  the 
condition  of  repentance,  which  is  right.  Thus  you  see 
how  the  gospel  plan  can  be  exhibited  or  contradicted  by 
the  very  mode  of  our  expressions. 

Moreover,  we  can  construct  a  sentence  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  couch  a  condition  in  it  without  using  any  ex- 
press conditionary  terms;  for  instance,  if  I  say  "  nothing 
"  but  repentance  can  save  a  sinner:  God  forgives  the 
"penitent:  none  but  those  who  repent  can  be  forgiven:" 
all  these  three  sentences  evidently  make  repentance  the 
condition  of  pardon  ard  salvation,  and  are  legal  and  false. 
But  were  I  to  say,  "  salvation  brings  a  sinner  to  repen- 
"  tance,  or  none  but  those  who  are  forgiven,wiH  repent," 
the  condition  would  be  altered,  and  the  doctrine  true. 
We  ouglit  to  be  very  careful  how  we  either  give  or  take 
ideas  x)n  those  doctrines  which  relate  to  the  terms  of  our 
salvation:  the  life  of  the  soul  depends  on  our  under- 
standing the  gospel  plan. 

3.  I  will  turn  my  reader's  attention  to  some  passages 
of  scripture  which  speak  of  repentance,  to  which  we 
ought  to  attend  with  care,  lest  we  carelessly  and  igno- 
rantly  take  wrong  ideas  and  give  them  to  others  on  this 
important  scripture  doctrine.  But  first  I  wait  to  remfirk 
that  we  have  two  leading  ideas  from  the  word  repentance: 


503 

one  is  sorrow,  remorse,  anguish  of  spirit,  hating  one's  sell 
for  something  done  wrong;  another  is  a  cliange  of  senti- 
ment, akcring  our  plan,  adopting  or  embracing  somcihing 
whicli  we  did  not  before,  or  to  which  we  were  before 
opposed. 

There  are  two  Greek  words  always  made  use  of  in  the 
new  testament,  transl  ited  repentance:  one  is  jweTotjWsAt**, 
which  signifies  a  sorrowful  reflection  on  what  has  been 
done,  grief,  careful  anxiety,  painful  reflection.  Sec.  whether 
on  good  or  bad  principles;  the  other  is  uirxvoix,  which 
signifies  a  change  of  the  mind,  heartily  turning  from  and 
giving  up  former  hopes  and  plans  and  attachments,  and 
betaking  one's  self  to  a  new  course  of  procedure,  &.c. 

I  will  now  la}  down  two  maxims  which  can  never  be 
contradicted  without  going  contrary  to  the  gospel  plan. 

1.  God,  who  has  the  sole  right  to  fix  the  terms  of  sal- 
vation, has  appointed  faith  as  the  only  condition  of  our 
salvation. 

2.  Repentance,  which  consists  in  hatred  to  sin,  and  a 
godly  sorrow  for  it,  must  be  a  consequence  of  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  a  part  of  that  salvation  which  is  received  on  the 
condition  of  faith.   Therefore, 

When  the  scripture  uses  the  word  fxiTocvau)  as  the 
condition  of  our  pardon  or  salvation,  it  must  mean  faith; 
for  sorrow  for  sin  and  hatred  to  it,  which  is  repentance 
and  a  part  of  our  salvation,  cannot  possibly  be  the  condi- 
tion of  it.  That  which  produces  the  same  effect,  must  be 
the  same  cause.  Things  that  are  equal  to  one  ai^d  the 
same  thing,  are  equal  to  one  another.  If  faith  is  the  con- 
dition of  our  salvation  and  produces  repentance,  then, 
when  the  scripture  says  that  fxtTAvoix  is  the  condition  of, 
and  produces  the  same  thing,  jufxavoia  must  mean  faith, 
and  not  sorrow  for  sin  and  hatred  to  it;  or  otherwise 
-srihivoi  (to  believe)  means  repentance;  for  they  must  mean 
the  same  thing  when  they  ai-e  put  for  the  same  thing. 


504 

When  the  scriptures  give  us  the  idea  of  gospel  repei> 
tance,  they  frequently  express   it  by  very  definite  and 
emphatical  words  and  ideas,  such  as  mourning,  bitterness 
as  for  a  first  born,  the  soul  cast  down,  the  bones  broken, 
sorrow  for  sin,  watering  the  couch  with  tears,  the  head  as 
waters  and  the  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  the  soul  afflict- 
ed, &c.  The  memorable  account  the  apostle  Paul  gives 
of  the  repentance  of  the  Corinthians  is  worth  notice.  (2 
Cor.  7.  8 — 11.)  He  says,  "  though  I  made  you  sorry  I 
"  do  not  repent,  though  I  did  repent  (jtA€T«^£AO|t*««),  &c. 
*'  Now  I  rejoice,  not  that  ye  were  made  sorry,  but  that  ye 
"  sorrowed  to  repentance:  [uirotvoiccv)  for  ye  were  made 
*'  sorry  (or  made  to  sorrow)  after  a  godly  manner,  (or  for 
"•'  God's  sake  >c«Tot  ©gov).  For  godly  sorrow  [KccTot  ©gov) 
*'  worketh  repentance  (jUsravoiava  change  of  the  mind)  to 
"  salvation  (or  in  salvation  as  a  part  of  it,  or  furtherance  in 
"  it)  not  to  be  repented  of:  (apgrapgAjjTov  not  to  rue  or  be 
"  sorry  for  or  regret)  but  the  sorrow  of  the  world  work- 
"  eth  death,   (mere  carnal  or  legal  sorrow  is  no  part  of 
"  salvation)    For    behold,   this    selfsame    thing   that   ye 
"  sorrowed  after  a  godly  sort,  what  carefulness  it  wrought 
*'  in  you,  (or  hastening,  quickness  c-Tsr^i^yiv)  yea,  what  clear- 
"  ing  of  yourselves,  (apologizing  or  defending)  yea,  what 
''  indignation,  (bitter  groaning,   o^yxvaKryjciv)  yea,   what 
''  fear,  yea,  what  vehement  desire,  yea,  what  zeal,  yea 
"  what  revenge!  in  all  things  ye  have  approved  yourselves 
"  to  be  clear  in  this  matter." 

This  is  a  description  of  evangelical  sorrow  in  strong 
explicit  terms;  but  repentance  is  not  taken  as  a  condi- 
tion of  salvation,  but  only  as  an  exercise  of  godly  sorrow. 
We  have  several  instances  of  the  word  fjHTocvoico  used 
as  a  condition  of  an  interest  in  Christ,  which  we  now  pro- 
ceed to  attend  unto,  which  according  to  the  maxims  I 
have  laid  down  cannot  mean  evangelical  repentance  but 
faith. 

Acts  2.  38.  Then  Peter  said  unto  them  repent  (jugr^- 
voyfctTi).  Now  suppose  Peter  meant  evangelical  repen- 


505 

lance,  then  he  would  place  repentance,  which  is  the  con- 
sequence of  sanctification,  before  i'aith,  and  he  would 
make  the  work  of  sanctification  to  be  going  on  before  the 
sinner  had  an  interest  in  Christ  by  faith.  We  cannot  ima- 
gine that  Peter  had  any  such  idea. 

Suppose  again,  that  he  meant  that  kind  of  repentance 
which  sinners  have  before  they  come  to  Christ,  consisting 
in  fear,  under  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger,  and  au  ful  ap- 
prehensions of  wrath.  I'his  would  be  every  whit  as  bad. 
This  would  make  Peter  call  upon  them  to  do  what  they 
were  doing  already.  They  were  already  convicted  and  cut 
to  the  heart,  and  crying  to  the  apostles,  "  men  and  brethren 
"  what  shall  we  do?"  And  does  Peter  aggravate  their 
misery  by  telling  them  to  go  on  to  perform  that  as  a  con- 
dition of  forgiveness,  which  they  had  performed  already? 

It  was  Peter's  duty,  ex  officio,  to  direct  them  how  to 
get  relief;  and  he  must  direct  them  according  to  his 
orders.  And  what  Avere  his  orders?  Mark  16.  16.  "He 
"  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved."  He  cer- 
tainly did  so.  It  is  true  he  used  the  word  uirxvo^ffalv,  but 
the  meaning  here  cannot  be  repentance,  neither  legal  nor 
evangelical,  but  simply,  belie ve^  Those  men  were  those 
very  Jews  who  had  stained  their  hands  with  the  blood  of 
Christ,  through  spite  and  wickedness:  "  Ye  have  taken," 
said  Peter,  pushing  home  conviction  to  their  consciences, 
''and  with  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain."  They 
also  depended  on  the  law  of  Moses  for  salvation  and  had 
rejected  Christ:  "  We  know  that  God  spake  unto  Moo)es; 
*'  but  as  for  this  man  we  know  not  whence  he  is."  But 
now  they  are  alarmed  under  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger; 
they  cpy  to  Peter  and  the  rest,  "  what  shall  we  do?" 
Peter,  to  administer  relief  to  their  distressed  souls,  gives 
them  a  gracious  call  of  the  gospel,  saying,  uiTcc\icy,cxl(. 
Change  your  minds  about  Christ's  being  an  impostor, 
alter  your  notion  of  the  validity  of  the  rites  of  Moses  and 
adopt  the  doctrine  of  the  cross,    make  a  profession  of 

3  S 


506 

Christ  as  the  only  Saviour,  and  look  to  him  instead  of 
the  law  of  Moses  for  pardon  and  salvation,  arid  you  shall 
be  acknowledged  of  God  by  the  gift  of  his  Holy  Spirit; 
and  thus  he  went  on  exhorting  them  to  take  the  proper 
measures  for  their  salvation;  (v.  40.)  and  we  find  in  the 
end  (v.  41.)  that  three  thousand  gladly,  with  the  consent 
of  the  mind,  received  the  word  according  to  Peter's  direc- 
tions, not  by  repentance  but  by  turning  their  minds  from 
Moses  to  Christ  crucified,  even  by  receiving  the  word, 
which  is  a  proper  defiriition  of  faith.  And  no  doubt  God 
gave  them  evangelical  repentance  in  due  time. 

Not  long  after  we  find  Peter  and  John  in  the  templej 
(chap.  3.)  and  having  healed  a  lame  man  forty  years  of 
age,  who  had  been  lame  from  his  mother's  womb,  the 
people  struck  with  astonishment  ran  together  to  see  the 
wonderful  sight.  Peter  takes  the  favourable  opportiniity 
and  again  pushes  home  conviction  upon  them,  and  (v. 
19.)  makes  another  oft'er  of  the  gospel  to  them.  We  have 
no  account  of  convictions  on  this  occasion,  but  we  must 
reasonably  suppose  there  were  from  what  is  said  in  the  4th 
verse  of  the  4th  chapter.  Peter  however  gives  them  a 
gracious  call,  saying,  "repent  and  be  converted  that  your 
"  sins  may  be  blotted  out;"  here  is  the  very  same  word, 
u>£Tavo>j<ra7£;  and  in  the  very  same  sense  as  before,  doubt- 
less. And  pardon  is  offered  on  the  condition  of  it;  and  from 
the  result  of  the  whole,  in  chap.  4.  4.  we  find  that  many 
of  them  which  heard  the  word  believed,  viz.  did  as  Peter 
directed  them,  which  plainly  shows  that  the  word  means 
to  believe;  because  if  it  meant  to  repent,  St.  Luke,  the 
historian,  ought  to  have  said,  many  of  them  who  heard  tjie 
word  repented.*  John  the  baptist  preached  the  doctrine 

»  The  remaining  part  of  the  19th  verse,  and  the  20th  and  21st 
verses  of  this  chapter  (viz.  chap.  3.)  always  have  been  to  nie  unintel- 
ligible, and  indeed  on  to  the  24th  verse  inclusive.  How  commenta- 
tors ever  understood  it,  or  whether  they  did  or  not  I  cannot  tell;  but 
for  my  part  I  never  could  nor  can  I  yet  see  any  sense  in  the  English 


507 

of  repentance,  (Mat.  3.  2  )  "  saying;  repent  yc  for  the 
"  kin^^clom   of  htavcn  is   at   hand."    Atid  when   Clirist 

translation  of  this  passui>c.  The  passaj^c  reads  thus,  "  Repent  yc 
"  therefore  and  be  converted  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  when 
".the  time  of  refreshini;^  shall  conic  from  the  presence  of  ilu-  Lord." 
When  is  this  time  of  refreshing;;?  Some  expositors  say  it  was  at  the 
time  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Hom^ins.  liut  iiow  this 
was  a  time  of  refi'eshing  I  cannot  tell.  1  know  it  was  a  time  of  great 
tribulation.  (Mat.  24.  21.)  It  is  attain  said  that  it  was  at  the  millen- 
nium, and  perhaps  at  the  end  of  tiic  \\orkl.  These  will  be  refreshing 
times  indeed;  but  if  the  penitents  under  Peter's  discourse  had  to  wait 
tin  then  before  they  would  get  forgiveness  they  would  be  very  old 
men.  But  the  proposal  of  the  gospel  is  pardon  immediately  on  be- 
lieving: (v.  20.)  "  And  he  shall  send  Jesus  Christ  who  before  was 
"  preached  unto  you."  Here  1  ask  would  he  send  Jesus  Christ  at  the 
destruction  of  the  temple,  at  the  time  of  the  niillcnnium,  or  at  the  day 
of  judgment?  And  would  he  send  him  because  Peter's  hearers  re- 
pented? And  must  they  wait  for  forgiveness  till  he  came?  Again, 
(v.  21.)'*  Whom  the  heavens  nuist  recciv  e  until  the  times  of  restitu- 
"  tion  of  all  things,  which  (iod  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  his 
"  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began."  Did  all  or  any  of  the  holy 
prophets  say  that  the  heavens  must  receive  Christ  till  Jerusalem 
would  be  destroyed,  till  the  millennium,  or  till  the  day  of  judgment?  If 
they  did  they  were  wrong;  for  heaven  sent  him  down  lorig  before  any 
of  them  came  to  pass;  and  two  of  them  arc  not  come  yet,  and  v  hrist 
has  come  eighteen  hundred  years  ago.  (v.  22.)  "  For  Moses  truly 
"  said  unto  the  fatliers,  a  prophet  shall  the  Lord  your  God  raise  up 
"  unto  you,  kc."  Did  Moses  say  that  God  would  send  Christ  after 
Peter  preached  to  those  penitents,  or  after  th.y  would  believe?  even 
after  he  had  come  and  ascended  again?  (v.  24.)  "  Yea  and  all  the 
"  prophets  from  Samuel,  Sec.  as  many  as  have  spoken,  have  likewise 
"  spoken  of  these  times."  What  times?  When  Jesus  Christ  should 
be  sent  to  Peter's  penitents?  The  times  of  refreshing  from  God  which 
Peter  promised  would  come  when  his  penitents  should  be  pardoned? 
If  any  person  can  tell  what  Peter  meant  they  can  guess  better  tlian 
I  can;  for  I  can  see  no  sense  in  it  from  first  to  last.  But  what  is  to  be 
done?  DoesPeterspeak nonsense?  no:  Ictusgo  tothcoriginal,^diiierc 
we  will  find  both  good  sense  and  elegance,  calculated  to  encourage 
poor  distressed  souls  to  accept  of  the  oiicrs  of  the  gospel.  I  wi.l  now 
give  my  own  translation  of  the  Greek,  with  notes  included  in  paren- 
theses: '■*■  Change  your  wht)lc  system  of  s-lvation,  because  you  are 
'•  wrong  in  your  notions  of  Christ  and  of  Moses,  and  suHer  youreclvc^ 


508 

himself  began  to  preach,  he  said,  (chap.  4.  17.)  "  Repent 
"  ye  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  The  same 
Greek  word  is  used  here;  and  as  John  was  the  forerunner 
of  Christ,  it  is  reasonable  to  think  that  he  called  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Jews  to  Christ,  who  was  immediately  to  make 
his  public  appearance  in  the  world  as  the  Messiah.  The 
true  spirit  or  meaning  of  the  word  f^Tavoim  in  those . 

"  to  be  turned  from  your  hopes  of  salvation  by  the  law  of  Moses,  to 
"  the  gospel  of  the  crucified  Saviour,  that  your  sins  may  be  forgiven 
"  through  that  atonement  of  the  cross;  because  the  times  of  refresh- 
"  ing  (ccvx^'^v  |e»?  the  times  of  cooling,  after  labour.  Is. 28.  12.)  have 
"  come  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  (oW-»?  «»,  not  ivhen,  but^  be- 
"  cause,  seeing,  inasinuch  as,  for^  8cc.  e>^Sa<ri,  not  s/iall  cojne^  but  have 
"  come;  there  is  a  great  difference  betwixt  saying  a  thing  shall  be 
"  hereafter,  and  saying  it  has  come  already.  Tliis  unhappy  turn  of 
''  the  translators  together  with  the  word  when,  instead  of /or  or  be- 
"  cause,  or  seev2g,ov  inas7nuch  as,  has  made  this  passage  quite  unintelli- 
''  gible);  and  he  has  sent  (u,7ro?-uXi,  not  s/iallsend,  but  /las  already  sent^ 
"  Jesus  Christ  who  was  preached  unto  you  before  (by  the  prophets 
"  who  foretold  of  his  coming).  Whom  heaven  must  have  contained 
"  (or  whom  it  was  expedient  for  the  heavens  to  have  continued  to 
"  keep)  until  the  times  of  restitution  of  all  things  (or  restoration) 
"  which  God  had  spoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets 
'<  from  the  beginning  (prophesying  of  the  coming  of  Christ  in  the 
»'  flesh.  As  for  instance):  Moses  truly  said  unto  the  fathers  a  prophet 
"  shall  the  Lord  your  God  raise  up  unto  you,  of  your  brethren,  as  he 
"  did  me,  See.  Yea,  and  all  the  prophets  from  Samuel,  and  all  who 
•■'  have  come  in  order,  even  as  many  as  have  spoken,  have  prophesied 
>«  of  these  very  times.  (Repent  ye  therefore,  submit  to  the  gospel  and 
"  vou  shall  obtain  pardon  for  all  your  sins;  for  Christ  has  actually 
"  come,  and  calls  you  to  believe  on  him,  for  your  salvation)." 

I  have  indeed  given  a  free  translation,  rather  an  explanation;  but 
I  have  not  strained  the  sense  of  the  Greek.  I  have  not  translated  the 
past  tense  for  the  future,  and  made  Peter  prophesy  of  tilings  yet  to 
come,  which  have  come  already;  and  1  have  not  made  Peter's  con- 
verts \llit  for  forgiveness  till,  God  knows  when,  after  they  had  be- 
lieved. The  whole  passage  is  easy  and  consistent;  and  commentatoi's 
could  understand  it;  and  would  not  be  obliged  to  strain  the  text  to 
get  sense  out  of  nonsense,  and  even  make  Peter  the  inspired  apostle 
be  inconsistent,  by  trusting  to  a  false  translation,  without  looking  at 
what  was  said  in  the  original 


509 

places  where  John  uses  it  must  be  a  call  to  the  Jews  to 
prepare  their  minds  to  receive  and  acknowledge  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  through  a  sense  of  their  need  of  him  as  lost 
sinners,  and  from  a  sense  of  the  utter  insufficiency  of  all 
the  rites  and  institutions  of  the  law  of  Moses.  Thus  he 
prepared  the  minds  of  the  people  for  the  coming  of  Christ. 
And  when  Christ  began  to  preach  he,  using  the  very  same 
expression,  meant  essentially  the  very  same  thing,  even 
that  he  was  the  true  Messiah  which  was  promised  them; 
and  that  they  must  ackno\\'ledge  him  by  laith  as  their  only 
atonement;  sensible  of  their  lost  state  by  sin;  and  that  they 
must  not  trust  to  Moses  for  salvation.  St.  Mark  says, 
(chap.  1.  4.)  tliat  John  preached  the  baptism  or  doctrine 
of  repentance  unto  the  remission  of  sins.  This  makes  it 
plain  that  ^iravoix  is  really  faith;  because  it  is  by  faith  only 
that  ^Ve  can  be  interested  in  the  atonement  of  Christ  unto 
(in)  the  remission  of  sins;  and  that  repentance  which  is 
the  eftect   of  sanctification  is  always  a  consequence  of 
faith,  and  therefore  is  subsequent  to  pardon.  The  same 
evangelist  (v.  15.)  says,  that  Christ  when  he  preached 
the  kingdom  of  God  or  the  gospel,  said,  "  the  time  is  ful- 
"  filled;  repent  and  believe  the  gospel."  Put  in  the  word 
even,  instead  of  the  word  ami,  and  it  will  read  thus,  re- 
pent, even  believe  the  gospel.  Or  as  it  stands  the  sense 
is,  be  sensible  of  your  danger  in  consequence  of  sin,  and 
of  the  impossibility  of  salvation  by  the  law;  and  believe 
the  gospel  giving  up  your  hearts  to  me  as  your  only  Re- 
deemer. The  apostle  Paul  had  exactly  this  sense  of  John's 
preaching,  and  construes  it  precisely  as  I  have  done: 
>     (Acts  19.  4.)  "  Then  said  Paul,  John  truly  baptized  with 
"  the  baptism  of  repentance,  saying  unto  the  people  that 
"  they  should  believe  on  him  who  should  come  after  him, 
••  that  is  on  Christ  Jesus."   So  that  according  to  this  the 
baptism  of  repentance  which  John  preached  was  to  belicAT 
on  Christ. 


510 

Upon  the  whole,  from  every  view  of  this  subject  I 
think  we  are  fully  warranted  to  say,  that  we  must  never 
make  repentance  a  condition  of  our  interest  in  Christ, 
unless  we  mean  foith  by  the  word  repentance;  and  then 
it  does  not  mean  that  holy  exercise  of  heart  which  is 
a  grand  effect  of  sanctification  and  consequently  subse- 
quent to  believing  and  a  grand  part  of  our  salvation  which 
we  obtain  by  faith;  and  then  the  word  repentance  or 
[MToivoicc  means  a  suitable  sense  of  sin,  of  the  insufficiency 
of  all  other  plans  of  salvation,  and  the  sinner  betaking 
himself  to  the  gospel  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul. 

I  have  been  a  little  more  particular  on  this  subject 
because  I  fear  many  jumble  this  kind  of  repentance, 
which  is  indeed  only  another  word  for  faith,  with  that 
repentance  which  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit  on  the  heart 
of  a  believer  and  so  make  it  a  term  or  condition  of  our 
interest  in  Christ;  which  is  certainly  very  wrong,  and 
tends  much  to  darken  our  views  of  the  gospel  plan,  and 
so  to  destroy  our  comfort  in  religion,  and  to  hurry  us  into 
legality. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  nature  of  true  evangelical  repentance. 

Repentance  is  a  saving  grace;  that  is  to  say,  it  is  a 
grace  of  salvation,  and  a  very  grand  part  of  salvation, 
without  which  it  is  impossible  for  a  sinner  to  be  saved; 
for  how  is  it  possible  for  a  sinner  to  be  saved,  without 
salvation?  When  a  sinner  is  born  again  he  begins  to  re- 
pent, and  not  before.  Repentance  is  either  legal,  or  evan- 
gelical. Legal  repentance  is  produced  by  the  law  without 
the  hope  of  the  gospel;  evangelical  repentance  is  produced 
by  the  gospel.  When  a  sinner  is  sensible  of  guilt,  and  has 
no  discovery  of  the  atonement  of  Christ  offered  to  him  in 
the  gospel,  and  consequently  has  no  hope  of  pardon,  he  is 


511 

filled  with  a  slavish  fear  of  punishment.  The  justice  of  God 
is  a  terror  to  his  mind;  he,  conscious  of  guill,  dread-  the 
consequence  of  his  having  broken  the  law  of  God.  Fear, 
anxiety,  trouble,  and  even  torture  are  the  consequence. 
The  unhappy  wretch  repents;  but  there  is  no  religion  in 
his  repentance;  but  it  is  legal,  and  slavish;  it  bears  the 
image  of  hell;  and  his  torture  and  anguish  is  in  its  degree 
the  same  as  devils  feel.  Thus  Judas  repented,  and  Felix 
trenibled,  but  without  any  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  but 
thiough  a  slavish  terror  of  the  consequence  of  guilt.  This 
is  legal  repentance. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  when  a  sinner  under  a  sense  of 
guilt  and  ruin,  gets  a  view  of  the  fulness  and  freeness  of 
the  gospel  offers  to  his  soul,  he  is  persuaded  to  come 
poor  and  helj)less  to  Christ  for  salvation;  and  thus  by  faith 
he  becomes  interested  in  the  atonement  of  the  cross. 
This  gives  him  a  blessed  hope  of  pardon  and  salvation. 
He  is  brought  from  under  the  curse,  and  is  blessed  with 
the  divine  influences  of  the  Spirit,  as  I  have  already  ex- 
plained. He  is  consequently  changed  in  the  temper  of 
his  mind;  and  a  work  of  sanctification  is  begun  and  is 
carried  on  in  his  heart.  He  now  loves  holiness;  he  loves 
God  and  his  law,  and  desires  to  be  more  and  more  holy. 
Thus  the  ground  is  laid  for  true  repentance  by  the  effect 
of  the  gospel  bringing  the  sinner  into  a  sanctified  state. 
The  sinner  consequently  hates  sin,  mourns  over  his  sin- 
fulness, and  hates  and  abhors  that  which  is  contrary  to 
the  holy  will  of  God.  He  regards,  and  loves  the  law  of 
God  as  holy,  just,  and  good,  but  feels  his  daily  short- 
comings; and  it  is  his  daily  study  to  live  agreeably  to 
the  divine  will.  This  is  evangelical  repentance,  and  is  an 
exercise  of  a  hoi}"  heart. 

Sometimes  this  repentance  produces  a  severe  conflict 
in  the  mind,  is  attended  with  many  tears  and  sorrows 
and  sighing;  but  in  those  cases  it  is  frequently  mixed 
with  legality.  When  a  sinner  has  a  view  of  the  odious 


512 

nature  of  sin,  and  at  the  same  time  feels  himself  guilty, 
and  has  but  faint  views  of  the  gospel,  he  is  sure  to  iiave 
a  sore  heart.  He  feels  himself  the  vilest  creature  under 
the  sun.  He  loathes  his  own  heart,  and  cannot  forgive 
himself  for  his  folly.  And  often  when  he  gets  a  hope 
of  forgiveness  by  a  return  of  gospel  light,  he  still  feels 
his  abhorrence  of  sin.  Often  in  this  case  he  wishes  he 
could  live  without  sin,  and  is  sometimes  impatient  under 
the  thought  of  living  in  such  a  state  of  imperfection;  yea, 
there  are  instances,  not  a  few,  of  such  persons  wishing  to 
die,  to  get  rid  of  a  wicked  heart.  I  do  not  say  that  all 
such  feelings,  thoughts,  and  wishes  are  right;  nay  I  would 
say  that  many  of  them  may  be  very  wrong;  but  still  they 
demonstrate  that  the  person  does  hate  sin  and  is  sorry 
after  a  godly  sort. 

But  although  evangelical  penitents  have  many  such 
feelings,  and  often  legality  mixed  with  what  is  genuine, 
in  the  calmest  and  most  comfortable  seasons  he  enjoys, 
he  is  no  less  a  penitent  than  when  he  feels  his  heart  the 
sorest;  and  mostly  more  genuinely  so  then  than  at  any 
other  time.  For  although  religion  occupies  the  affections 
in  a  high  degree,  yet  it  is  a  rational  thing;  and  when  the 
christian  in  his  cool  reflections  on  the  nature  of  sin,  even 
under  the  comfortable  views  of  God's  pardoning  mercy 
feels,  or  knows  that  his  heart  hates  it,  and  loves  holiness 
he  is  then  as  truly  a  penitent,  and  perhaps  as  simply  so, 
as^  at  any  other  time  whatsoever.  St.  Paul  was  no  more 
a  penitent  when  he  said,  "  O  wretched  man  that  I  am" 
than  when  he  said,  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed." 

He  who  is  always  complaining  of  a  bad  heart  is  not 
apt  to  be  an  agreeable  christian,  although  he  may  be  a 
good  one;  and  he  would  complain  less,  if  he  had  less  pride, 
and  more  humility.  I  love  a  cheerful  penitent,  who  really 
hates  sin,  but  is  willing  to  struggle  with  it  like  a  good 
soldier,  and  to  wait  with  patience,  and  fortitude  till  God 
is  pleased  to  close  the  warfare.  I  am  not  against  persons 


513 

weeping,  but  I  would  wish  them  to  weep  as  often  foi 
joy,  as  for  sorrow;  and  I  would  not  think  any  the  worse 
of  your  repentance,  were  I  to  find  you  always  cheerful 
under  the  hope  of  pardon;  neither  would  I  think  any 
the  better  were  I  to  find  you  always  fretting  under  a  sense 
of  sin.  Generally  pride  and  self-righteousness  are  at  the 
bottom  of  every  distressed  mind.  An  humble  submis 
sion  to  the  gospel,  although  it  does  not  hinder  but  give 
a  true  sense  of  sin,  yet  it  never  fails  to  ease  a  distressed 
mind,  and  makes  it  even  sweet  to  repent.  Mary  Magda- 
lene was  noted  by  our  Lord  for  loving  much,  because 
much  had  been  forgiven  her. 

It  is  always  a  true  sign  of  gospel  repentance  to  turn 
from  sin  to  holiness.  If  a  man's  heart  is  turned  from  the 
love  of  sin  to  the  love  of  God,  his  life  will  be  habitually 
in  conformity  to  the  holy  disposition  of  his  heart.  Tdat 
person  certainly  lays  himself  liable  to  be  suspected  who 
lives  habitually  in  sin.  Yet  I  am  not  fond  of  running- 
marks  or  evidences  too  high.  On  the  other  hand  I  u  ould 
not  for  the  world  encourage  iniquity  by  any  means 
whatsoever.  But  I  do  really  think  there  is  no  little  mis- 
chief done  by  too  high  colouring  in  giving  the  charac- 
teristics of  true  religion.  Every  true  christian  has  one 
evidence  of  hi's  being  a  true  penitent  in  his  being  sensi- 
ble of  his  daily  shortcomings.  Yet  it  must  be  true  that 
he  who  hates  sin  v.ill  endeavour  to  live  a  life  of  holiness. 

Upon  the  whole  we  may  conclude  that  a  true  penitent 
is  one  who  loves  holiness  and  hates  sin,  sincerely  confes- 
ses his  iniquity  and  endeavours  to  live  in  obedience  tf) 
the  commands  of  God. 

Although  repentance  is  not  a  condition  of  our  salva- 
tion, yet  it  is  a  necessary  part  of  it.  There  can  be  no 
such  thing  as  salvation  without  holiness;  and  we  can  have 
no  holiness  without  repentance.  In  order  to  get  repen- 
tance we  must  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  by 
liis  word  and  Spirit  gives  us  repentance  by  sanctification 

3  T 


514 

When  wc  love  holiness,  we  will  hate  sin  and  be  sorry 
for  our  transgressions.  And  that  our  repentance  may  be 
the  more  genuine  and  free  from  alloy  we  should  endea- 
vour to  maintain  a  steady  and  uniform  comfort  in  reli- 
gion. In  order  to  this  it  is  necessary  that  we  should  daily 
feel  ourselves  depending  upon  the  atonement  of  the  cross 
as  our  only  justification,  and  never  expect  acceptance 
Avith  God  on  any  other  plan.  It  is  one  peculiar  glory  of 
a  true  christian,  not  even  to  wish  for  pardon,  on  any 
other  plan,  but  the  gospel.  For  my  part  I  never  feel  bet- 
ter than  when  I  feel  it  a  happiness  to  think  that  Christ 
will  have  the  honour  of  my  whole  salvation.  But  when  I 
begin  to  repent,  and  confess  my  sin  in  order  to  gain 
favour,  I  have  a  wretched  time  of  it;  and  there  is  no  reli- 
gion in  all  the  unhappy  feelings  which  I  have,  at  last. 
The  true  penitent  especially  when  he  feels  his  whole  soul 
taken  up  with  the  love  of  Christ  is  ready  to  say  with 
Paul  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of 
"  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;"  and  he  wishes,  and  is  deter- 
mined to  know  nothing,  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  cru- 
cified. 

There  is  a  great  fuss  (to  use  a  low  phrase)  made  about 
the  motives  from  which  we  hate  sin,  and  love  holiness; 
but  I  never  perplex  my  mind  about  such  critical  non- 
sense. For  it  is  impossible  for  any  man  to  hate  sin  with- 
out he  is  moved  to  do  it  by  something;  and  what  ever 
that  something  is,  it  is  right,  let  it  be  what  it  will;  for 
you  cannot  hate  sin  from  a  wrong  motive;  Christ  will  take 
care  of  our  motives,  if  we  will  only  believe  in  him.  Satan 
is  always  glad  to  perplex  us  about  our  motives;  it  tends 
to  draw  us  off  from  Christ,  and  makes  a  little  hell  upon 
earth.  Let  a  man  love  holiness  and  hate  sin;  and  there  is 
no  danger  but  he  is  a  true  penitent,  and  will  endeavour 
to  live  a  life  of  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God.  Not  that  he 
will  be  perfectly  holy  either  in  heart  or  life:  "  For  there 
"•  is  not  a  just  man  upon  eai-th  that  liveth,  and  sinneth 


515 

"  not.  If  \vc  say  we  have  no  sin,  \vt  deceive  ourselves, 
"  and  the  truth  is  not  in  iis." 

From  what  we  ha\'e  said  it  appears  that  true  genuine 
repentance  is  not  a  melancholy  thing;  neither  is  it  a  spi- 
rit of  fear,  doubting,  or  complaining  and  scrupling  our 
interest  in  Christ.  I  confess  that  the  unhappy  \va}  in 
which  the  gospel  has  been  nianaged  and  understood  by 
too  many  is  calculated  to  make  e\'en  christians  always 
hang  their  heads  disconsolately  and  ever  full  of  uncer- 
tainty. The  wicked  world  has  noticed  it,  and  branded 
religion  with  melancholy  and  desi)ondency.  It  has  not 
been  so  very  uncommon  for  some  to  express  a  ver}-  high 
opinion  of  those  who  were  much  addicted  to  doubts  and 
despondenc} ;  Mhile  on  the  other  hand  the  comfortable 
christian  has  been  frequently  branded  with  hypocrisy; 
and  a  melancholy  state  has  been  frequently  recommended 
as  verj'  favourable  to  a  growth  in  holiness,  while  a  com- 
fortable state  has  been  slandered  as  cultivating  pride, 
sloth,  and  inattention  to  religion,  and  even  hypocrisy, 
and  presumption. 

For  my  part  I  know  not  what  a  doubting  christian  is 
to  be  commended  for.  I  grant  he  is  to  be  pitied,  but 
it  is  mostly  for  his  pride,  stu'obornness  and  folly.  O!  vou 
say,  he  is  such  an  humble  penitent.  What?  an  humble 
penitent  who  cannot  be  persuaded  to  look  to  Christ? 
who  cannot  come  poor,  guilty,  and  wretched  as  he 
is?  an  humble  penitent  who  only  frets  because  he  is  a 
sinner,  and  has  nothing  to  recommend  him?  I  pray  God 
ever  to  deliver  me  from  such  humility.  No;  repentance 
is  a  manly,  noble  principle,  that  inspires  the  heart  with  a 
firm  detestation  of  and  opposition  to  every  thing  that  is 
contrary  to  the  v.  ill  of  God,  and  makes  tlie  heart  loathe  and 
detest  the  sin  of  unbelief  as  much  as  any  other  sin  w  hat- 
soever.  It  requires  a  noble  spirit  to  be  sorry  for,  arid  de- 
test  that  which  is  wrong,  and  to  hope  for  pardon  through 
the  glorious  atonement  of  the  cross;  this  repentance  is 


.no 

attended  with  a  correct  sense. of  sin,  and  is  impregnated 
with  the  most  exalted  gratitude  and  love  to  a  most  gra- 
cious Benefactor  and  Redeemer.  But  to  fret  and  despond, 
to  sit  in  discontent,  and  to  indulge  despair,  is  an  exer- 
cise which  becomes  a  devil,  much  more  than  an  humble 
believer.  It  is  true,  many  christians  indulge  this  unhappy 
disposition  too  much;  but  let  them  never  call  it  repen- 
tance. A  person  who  is  rightly  sensible  of  the  grace  and 
goodness  of  God  is  led  to  repentance.  (Rom.  2.  4,  5.) 
Bi»t  those  who  are  not,  are  iipt  to  treasure  up  wrath  unto 
themselves  through  their  hardness  and  impenitent  hearts. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Evidences  of  rel'ip-ion^  or  the  signs  of  a  gracious  state;  some 
mistakes  in  this  matter  noticed. 

Peace,  joy  and  comfort,  on  the  most  solid  basis,  arc 
to  be  enumerated  among  the  happy  consequences  of  an 
interest  in  Christ  by  faith.  The  comfort  of  a  christian  in 
this  life  consists  in  peace  of  mind,  peace  with  God,  and 
in  his  own  conscience;  joy  in  religion,  in  the  pleasing  ex- 
ercises of  godliness,  and  in  God  as  his  exceeding  joy; 
and  in  the  happy  prospect  of  final  perseverance,  and 
finally  of  eternal  glory  and  happiness  in  the  world  to 
come. 

The  comfort  of  a  christian  depends  on  two  things:  the 
faithfulness  of  Christ  in  all  his  engagements  in  the  cove- 
nant of  grace;  and  in  the  evidences  he  has  to  evince  his 
interest  in  Christ.  By  the  faithfulness  of  Christ  the  be- 
liever is  made  to  enjoy  the  blessings  and  privileges  of  the 
gospel;  and  by  the  evidences  of  religion  he  is  enabled  to 
trust  to  Christ  as  his  faithful  Saviour,  and  consequently 
to  enj  .',  J  comfortable  hope  and  assurance  of  complete 
salvation.  But  the  christian  is  often  so  perplexed  about? 


517 

his  evidences,  that  he  loses  his  comfort  by  hunting  for 
them. 

Here  tlic  preachers  of  the  gospel  arc  grtatl}-  to  blame; 
I  do  not  mean  all  the  preachers;  although  no  doubt  we 
all  do  wrong  in  this  very  thing;  but  there  are  not  a  few, 
I  fear,  who  are  like  Job's  comforters  to  many  a  poor  child 
of  God.  Mere  legal  preachers  always  do  more  harm  than 
good,  if  they  can  be  said  to  do  any  good  at  all.  Those 
who  never,  or  seldom  direct  sinners  to  Christ;  and  when 
they  happen  to  give  room  for  his  blessed  name  and  cross, 
do  it  merely  by  way  of  parenthesis,  as  a  sentence,  or  part 
of  a  sentence,  of  no  great  importance,  need  not,  and  I 
suppose  do  not  intend  any  thing  but  to  cultivate  a  little 
decency  or  morality;  and  Cicero,  Seneca  and  Socrates 
could  do  it  as  well  as  they,  although  they  were  heathens. 
If  a  poor  soul  was  to  become  serious  by  some  means,  and 
get  a  sight  of  his  lost  and  helpless  state,  God  help  him 
under  such  preaching!  for  I  am  certain  the  preacher 
could  not. 

There  are  others  who  are  pious  experimental  preachers, 
who  are  yet  not  good  gospel  preachers;  that  is  they  do 
not  preach  the  gospel  clearly.  Their  sermons  are  full  of 
Christ,  the  cross,  faith  and  believing  too;  but  it  is  in  such 
a  way,  that  a  poor  soul  cannot  tell  this  or  that,  so  to 
speak  of  the  matter;  and  Christ  and  his  cross  are  so  inter- 
woven with  other  things  that  the  christian  for  his  life 
cannot  tell  what  to  do,  or  how  to  think.  Such  preachers 
are  for  ever  chasing  hypocrites,  with  the  nicest  defini- 
tions and  most  refined  marks  and  characters.  They  hunt 
them  through  all  their  dens  and  lurking  places,  and 
scarcely  ever  catch  one  at  last.  Hypocrites  are  long 
winded  creatures;  they  can  outrun  almost  any  preacher; 
it  is  in  vain  to  attempt  to  catch  them  by  speed  of  foot. 
The  best  way  is  to  give  them  just  one  or  two  close  shots 
from  the  accursed  tree;  if  any  thing  will  take  them  it  will 
be  that;  and  you  will  have  another  advantage,  yon  will 


518 

never  wound  a  christian  by  it;  for  the  cross  of  Christ, 
although  it  is  death  to  the  hypocrite,  yet  it  is  the  very 
life  of  a  poor  distressed  soul. 

But  instead  of  the  simple  unsophisticated  doctrines  of 
the  gospel,  the  niceties  of  criticism,  and  hair-spun  dis- 
tinctions are  employed  to  jumble  the  hope,  and  cut  off 
the  confidence  of  hypocrites;  and  many  a  precious  child 
of  God  is  run  almost  to  death,  before  the  hypocrite 
imagines  that  he  is  the  object  of  pursuit;  so  that  the  main 
object  is  lost,  and  the  weak  believer  is  kept  a  mere 
drudge  to  his  own  experience.  Many  precious  sabbaths 
are  spent  hearing  such  useless  discourses;  and  many 
weary  lungs  such  ministers  have,  doing  nothing  but 
w^ounding  God's  people,  in  trying  to  detect  sinners  by 
art  and  cunning,  and  scholastic  divinity. 

I  will  here  take  the  liberty  to  mention  a  very  general 
error  in  preaching  and  writing:  it  is  almost  universally 
the  case  among  pious  experimental  preachers  to  run  the 
characters  or  marks  of  the  triie  christian  so  high,  that  no 
man  upon  earth  ever  did,  or  can  in  this  imperfect  statereach 
half  way  to  the  description;  and  yet  every  soul  is  pronoun- 
ced v^oid  of  grace  who  does  not  attain  to  it.  Perhaps  this 
may  be  thought  too  censorious  and  injudicious;  but  I  sin- 
cerely wish  there  was  not  too  much  room  for  it.  I  know 
the  grand  design  is  to  detect  the  nominal  professor,  and  to 
sap  the  false  hopes  of  the  hypocrite.  But  it  is  bad  to  do 
evil  that  good  may  come;  and  it  is  not  necessary  nor  salu- 
tary to  strain  beyond  the  truth  to  save  a  sinner. 

The  rules  laid  dow^n  in  the  bible  for  a  christian  to  walk 
by  are  perfect,  and  so  they  ought  to  be;  and  when  a 
preacher  is  prescribing  from  his  bible  to  his  people  how 
they  ought  to  live,  he  ought  to  laydovi^n  those  rules;  and 
wherein  we  come  short  of  those  rules  we  are  wrong 
without  doubt.  But  there  is  a  wide  difference  betwixt 
the  perfect  rules  of  duty,  and  the  real  .attainments  of 
of  the  most  advanced  christian  in  the  world;  and  there 
consequently  ought  to  be  a  difference  betwixt  our  direc- 


519 


lions  to  cliribtiai.s  according  to  Goers  word,  which  allows 
of  no  sin,  and  our  dcscribin.u,-  what  tlic  christian  really  is 
in  this  imperfect  state.  Christ  could  direct  his  disciples 
to  be  perfect  as  their  heavenly  Father  is  perfect.  Yet  he 
could  assure  them  of  eternal  happiness,  and  find  fault 
with  them  in  many  things:  "  O  ye  of  little  faith.  Ye  know 
"not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of.  Get  thee  behind 
"  me  Satan;  thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  l}e  of  Gc-l 
"  &c.  Thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  What,  could  ye  not 
-  watch  with  me  one  hour?  Thomas  reach  hither  thy 
"  finger,  ^c.  and  be  not  faidiless,  but  believing.  Because 
"  thou  seest  thou  believest.  O  fools  and  slow  of  heart  to 
"  believe,  &c."  So  also  Paul  could  correct  many  things 
wrong  in   his  beloved  children  without  disputing  their 
religion;  and  J?hn,  although  he  could  say  if  they  were 
born  of  God  they  sinned  not,  yet  he  could  also  say,  if 
they  said  they  had  no  sin  they  were  liars. 

I  know  that  those  preachers  have  no  intention  to  preach 
perfection  in  this  life;  but  if  a  preacher  in  the  run  of  his 
discourse  gives  the  idea,  that  a  christian  must  have  a 
heart  all  swallowed  up  in  the  love  of  God  and  holiness, 
and  no  desire  or  inclination  to  sin;  in  vain  does  he  throw- 
in  a  little  parenthesis  (making  allowance   for  imperfec- 
tion) and  then  sentence  all  who  have  not  that  unspotted 
character  as  void  of  grace;  every  christian  that  hears  him 
will  be  hurt  (except  some  who  may  happen  to  be  in  a 
very  high  frame  at  the  present  time)  either  for  himself  or 
for  him.   If  he  takes  for  granted  what  the  preacher  has 
said,  he  must  conclude  himself  void  of  grace;  for  he  must 
be  conscious  that  he  comes  far  short  of  the  beautiful  de- 
scription. But   if  he  has  presence  of  mind  to  reflect  a 
little,  he  must  be  hurt  for  the  preacher  and  a  number  of 
his  dear  brethren;  for  he  must  know  that  he  has  asserted 
a  falsehood,  in  a  most  interesting  case  even  to  the  wound- 
ing of  many  of  God's  children. 

T    have   sometimes    read    books   and  heard   sermons. 


520 

where  every  grace,  feeling,  exercise,  and  conduct  of  a 
christian  were  represented  as  counterfeited:  a  true  faith 
and  a  false  faith,  a  true  love  and  a  false  love,  a  true  fear 
and  false  fear,  a  true  repentance  and  false  repentance,  a 
true  hope  and  a  false  one,  and  a  true  every  thing  and  a 
false  every  thing;  and  all  drawn  so  near  together  that  an 
angel  could  hardly  tell  the  difference  betwixt  them;  one 
the  work  of  God  and  the  other  of  human  nature.  Truly 
1  have  thought  dame  nature  was  a  most  excellent  moun- 
tebank; and  Herod  and  Felix  and  king  Agrippa,  &c.  are 
brought  in  as  proofs.  What  did  ever  appear  in  thesfe  men 
like  a  christian?  Herod  heard  John  the  Baptist  preaching, 
and  did  many  things.  The  devil  di(l  more  for  the  gospel 
when  he  flew  on  the  seven  sons  of  Sceva jJian  ever  Herod 
did.  Felix  trembled  like  the  devil  for  fear  of  the  day  of 
judgment.  Agrippa,  taken  with  Paul's  most  elegant  de- 
fence, was  almost  persuaded  to  profess  the  christian  reli- 
gion. But  is  all  this  to  be  compared  with  the  saving  in- 
fluences of  God's  Spirit?  certainly  no.  Did  Herod,  Felix, 
Agrippa,  Judas,  the  stony  ground  hearers,  or  any  others, 
who  are  brought  as  proofs  that  there  is  but  a  mere  mote 
of  difference  betwixt  them  and  the  true  christian,  ever 
o'ive  up  their  hearts  to  Christ?  Were  they  ever  made 
sensible  that  they  could  do  nothing?  And  did  they  come 
as  lost  sinners  to  the  cross  for  pardon,  without  any  recom- 
mendation?  Did  they  hate  sin?  Did  they  love  God? 
Did  they  feel  the  corruptions  of  their  heart?  In  short  did 
they  do  any  thing  like  a  christian?  And  did  Christ,  John 
the  Baptist  or  Paul  chase  them  from  post  to  pillar,  to 
distinguish  them  from  the  true  believer?  No  such  thing. 
And  if  preachers  would  content  themselves  with  the 
plain  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  they  would  do  more  good, 
and  less  harm  than  than  they  do,  by  their  fine  spun  dis- 
tinctions betwixt  the  believer,  and  the  hypocrite;  and 
when  they  are  done  they  mostly  distinguish  only  betwixt 
an  imperfect  believer,  and  a  perfect  saint  or  an  angel  in 
heaven. 


521 

I  do  not  Io\c  to  hear  preachers  making  the  way  of  sal- 
vation more  difficult  tlian  to  remove  the  Alps.  I  would 
rather  any  time  undertake  to  save  myself,  as  to  possess 
every  thing  necessary  to  salvation,  before  Christ  would  do 
any  thing  for  me.  It  is  true,  I  would  go  to  hell  either  way; 
but  on  the  former  plan  I  w  ould  go  to  hell  with  some  ho- 
nour, likea  brave  hero  fightingforhis  life  and  liberty, losing 
his  life  in  the  field  of  battle.  But  in  the  latter  case  it  would 
be  miserable  to  depend  upon  another  to  do  every  thing 
for  me  and  yet  be  lost  at  last,  because  I  could  do  nothnig 
for  myself;  and  my  surety  standing  idle,  looking  on  and 
seeing  me  going  to  ruin,  because  of  my  own  insufficiency. 
If  we  were  to  believe  every  thing  we  hear  and  read,  even 
from  sensible,  pious  divines  on  this  subject,  we  would 
certainly  think  it  one  of  the  most  difficult  and  intricate 
things  to  be  a  true  christian.  The  notion  of  impossibility, 
all  but  a  natural  one,  as  many  preachers  represent  it;  and 
altogether  a  natural  impossibility,  as  their  hearers  are 
sure  to  understand  them,  (except  about  ten  in  five 
hundred,  who  have  more  sense  than  their  preachers  have) 
produces  a  most  unhappy  idea  of  the  gospel;  and  makes 
that  blessed  system  of  free  grace  calculated  to  make  poor 
helpless  sinners  to  sing  for  joy,  a  mere  jargon  of  intricate 
absurdities;  and  when  these  preachers  are  attacked  on  the 
subject  by  men  of  sense  and  experience  in  religion,  they 
have  nothing  to  support  them  but  the  too  current  senti- 
ments of  their  forefathers.  Sinners  are  called  to  come  to 
Christ;  yet  we  find  when  the  duty  of  coming  is  explained, 
that  he  is  to  be  renewed  firsts  so  that  he  must  love  God 
and  hate  sin,  and  be  taken  up  with  the  moral  excelkiice 
and  beauty  of  Christ,  and  discover  all  his  glorious  perfec- 
tions, and  be  captivated  and  charmed  with  his  holiness, 
before  he  can  come.  Then  when  the  characteristics  of  a 
sound  believer  is  displayed,  we  have  motives  upon  motives 
urged  upon  us  as  constituent  parts  of  faith.  And  the  most 
part  of  them  false  at  last.  And  faith  has  two  special  proper- 

3U 


522 

ties,  which  sonic  assert  must  always  attend  it,  one  is  to  be 
perfectly  free  from  self-interest,  which  is  as  glaring  a 
falsehood  as  ever  was  preached.  And  another  property  is, 
to  be  all  holy  in  our  views  and  desires,  and  entirely  a  new 
creature,  delighting  in  God  for  his  divine  glory  and  ex- 
cellence; and  this  is  as  grand  a  falsehood  as  the  other;  for 
faith  has  not  the  least  tincture  of  either  the  one  or  the  other. 
For  faith  has  self-interest  for  its  first  motive;  or  in  other 
words,  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger  is  the  first  thing  that 
induces  a  sinner  to  consult  for  his  safety;  and  then  a  view 
of  the  free  offers  of  pardon  and  salvation  is  the  very  thing 
that  induces  a  sinner  to  come  to  Christ;  and  he  comes 
guilty  and  wretched,  not  merely  in  his  feelings,  but  in 
his  very  state  and  circumstances  to  Christ,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  assurance  which  the  gospel  gives  him  of 
deliverance  from  his  state  of  wretchedness;  and  he  comes 
guilty  under  the  curse  of  the  law  of  God,  without  a  spark 
of  holiness,  to  Christ  to  obtain  complete  deliverance  from 
his  wretchedness.  Now,  this  is  to  be  a  believer;  and  any 
person  who  would  allow  himself  to  think  five  minutes 
on  the  offers  of  the  gospel,  and  let  his  own  common  sense 
put  a  meaning  on  them,  would  know  and  feel  that  faith 
is  and  must  be  what  I  have  said,  viz.  a  lost  sinner  just 
simply  coming  as  he  is,  on  the  free  offer  of  Christ  to  him 
for  salvation. 

But  instead  of  this  simple  definition  of  faith,  when  this 
most  important  article  is  described  and  the  character  and 
feelings  and  exercises  of  the  true  believer  are  laid  before 
us,  we  must  be  changed  from  sin  to  holiness;  we  must 
love  God;  we  must  hate  sin;  we  must  have  the  most 
pure,  disinterested  and  spotless  desires  after  Christ,  as  a 
being  of  perfect  holiness,  charmed  by  nothing  but  his 
essential  glory.  We  must  desire  holiness  for  holiness* 
sake.  We  must  hate  sin  for  sin's  sake;  and  we  must  de- 
sire nothing  for  our  own  sake.  If  we  did,  it  would  be  like 
the  wild  gourds;  and  we  would  be  pronounced  hypocrites 


523 

at  once,  and  our  faith  branded  as  spurious  and  vain.  Good 
God!  If  this  was  the  gospel  plan,  what  would  become  of 
sinners?  There  never  would  nor  could  be  one  sinner 
saved  in  this  world;  and  Christ  would  be  dead  in  vain. 

When  such  descriptions  are  laid  before  us  in  order  to 
show  whether  we  have  ever  soundly,  as  they  call  it,  be- 
lieved on  Christ;  instead  of  describing  the  first  exercises 
of  a  poor  lost  sinner  coming  to  Christ  for  salvation,  we 
have  a  ten  or  twenty  year  old  christian  characterized,  who 
has  experienced  a  great  degree  of  grace,  and  has  had  pe- 
culiar experience  of  sanctification;  and  even  he  has  not 
gone  half  the  length  of  the  attainments  which  are  said  to  be 
necessary  for  a  lost  sinner  to  have  in  oider  to  interest  him 
in  Christ;  and  what  is  worse  still,  even  tlie  l^eliever  himseli 
never  will,  neither  in  this  world  nor  that  which  is  to  come 
experience  those  disinterested  finesses  of  (pretended) 
religion  which  are  sometimes  made  the  very  leading  cha- 
racteristic of  an  interest  in  Christ.  Such  doctrine  is  caU 
culated  to  make  comfortable  christians  fall  back  into  a 
state  of  dreary  darkness;  for  false  doctrine  always  operates 
against  truth,  like  mists  and  clouds  coming  betwixt  us 
and  the  sun.  A  christian  never  can  witjiess  to  the  truth 
of  such  descriptions  in  his  own  conscience;  and  conse- 
quently he  must  be  cut  down,  and  conclude  he  has  no 
religion. 

Doubting  christians  will  always  think  such  preaching 
the  best  preaching  in  the  world.  The  reason  is  plain; 
doubting  persons  always  love  to  swim  in  muddy  water 
if  they  are  in  earnest  about  salvation;  and  indeed  the 
Spirit  of  God  will  not  give  them  any  thing  else  to  swim 
in  till  they  look  to  Christ.  As  Dr.  Young  intimates, 
"  the  sick  in  body  call  for  a  physician,  but  the  sick  in 
"  mind  call  for  more  disease."  This  indeed  seems  strange 
and  unnatural;  but  we  are  to  consider  that  those  who 
have  no  comfort  in  Christ  must  have  comfort  somewhere; 
trouble  of  mind  is  generally  deemed  a  very  hopeful  sign 


524 

of  religion;  and  so  it  is  indeed,  as  far  as  it  shows  that  the 
sinner  is  not  altogether  hardened  and  careless;  they  there- 
fore love  to  object  against  themselves  and  all  their  feel- 
ings, that  they  may  have  more  distress  of  mind  lest  they 
be  careless  and  thoughtless;  and  the  more  distress  the} 
have  the  more  hope  they  have;  and  consequently  the 
more  distress  they  feel  the  more  comfort  they  feel.  Poor 
souls!  How  far  is  this  kind  of  comfort,  from  the  true, 
genuine  comforts  of  the  gospel!  Yet  so  it  is  and  so  it 
will  be,  till  they  understand  the  gospel  plan  better  than 
they  do.  Now,  such  sermons  are  the  very  delight  of  such 
christians.  They  make  them  sad,  sorely  distressed.  The 
poor  heart  is  ransacked,  probed  to  the  bottom,  and  by  a 
very  unskilful  hand  too.  The  sound  flesh  often  suffers 
more  than  the  proud  flesh;  but  no  matter  so  that  it  gives 
pain;  and  the  more  the  better.  Nothing  pleases  such  per- 
sons better  than  something  that  has  a  little  self-righteous- 
ness in  it;  and  there  is  here  every  kind  of  it,  in  all  shapes 
and  sizes.  The  bill  is  very  extensive. 

1.  A  sense  of  guilt  and  danger,  and  a  proper  law- work 
in  consequence  of  it. 

2.  There  must  be  no  fear  of  hell;  for  it  Is  death  to  con- 
sult self-interest. 

3.  A  heartfelt  hatred  to  sin  loathing  and  abhorring  it 
as  evil  in  God's  sight. 

4.  A  steady  and  uniform  resolution  to  turn  from  sin  to 
God  and  holiness. 

5.  Not  one  sin  in  heart  or  life  but  must  be  forsaken. 

6.  Deep  repentance  for  every  sin  as  dishonouring  to 
God. 

7.  A  heart  devoted  to  God  and  his  service,  not  for  re- 
ward but  for  holiness'  sake. 

8.  A  view  of  Christ  in  the  free  offers  of  the  gospel  as  a 
complete  Saviour. 

9.  A  view  of  his  divine  excellence  and  glory. 


525 

10.  A  most  cordial  delight  in  Christ  for  his  moral  ex- 
cellence. 

11.  Not  a  selfish  desire  of  pardon  and  happiness  from 
Christ,  but 

12.  A  pure  desire  after  holiness;  and  let  pardom  come 
-of  course. 

13.  A  sincere  love  to  God  for  his  divine  perfections. 
Sonic  also  add, 

14.  A  willingness  to  be  damned  if  it  would  be  most  for 
God's  glory. 

These  articles  which  I  have  mentioned  include  in  them, 
regeneration,  and  every  necessary  work  of  the  Spirit  in 
order  to  qualify  a  sinner  to  believe;  and  while  they  arc 
descanted  upon,  as  the  only  proper  grounds  on  which  to 
conclude  as  to  our  faith  in  Christ,  the  doubting  christian 
is  highly  pleased;  because  there  is  so  much  said  about 
experimental  religion,  and  views,  motives,  and  fitness  to 
come  to  Christ,  and  hopes  of  acceptance  when  we  get  all 
those  prerequisites  of  an  interest  in  the  Redeemer.  But 
still  he  is  not  half  ready  to  come.  Yet  he  finds  he  is  be- 
ginning to  be  ready;  and  he  hopes  after  awhile  he  may 
venture  to  come;  and  he  hopes  after  he  gets  all  things  in 
order,  he  will  not  only  come,  but  he  will  also  find 
acceptance. 

Thus  his  pride  is  fed;  and  the  food  is  very  palatable 
indeed;  and  it  is  the  more  so  because  there  is  a  good  deal 
of  anxiety  promoted;  it  begets  trouble  of  mind,  and  it  is 
a  hopeful  sign  of  grace;  so  we  mix  vinegar  with  our  food 
to  give  it  a  relish,  and  to  assist  the  digestion.  Suchchris 
tians  rather  than  trust  to  God  according  to  his  word,  and 
go  on  straight  to  Canaan  in  spite  of  fenced  cities,  and 
the  sons  of  Anak,  would  rather  travel  forty  years  in  the 
wilderness  in  a  circuitous  route,  going  sometimes  back- 
ward and  sometimes  forward,  sideways  and  obliquely  or 
any  way  except  the  right  way;  and  it  is  well  for  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  who 

are 


526 

not  the  cause  of  their  rebellion  against  God,  in  giving 
an  ill  report  of  the  way  of  access  to  God  according  to  the 
gospel  plan. 

Give  me  the  first  and  eighth  articles  in  the  four- 
teen which  I  have  set  down,  and  I  will  ask  no  more  to 
induce  any  sinner  to  believe;  only  let  these  be  seen  and 
felt,  and  there  is  no  danger  but  the  man  will  come  to 
Christ;  and  when  he  comes,  there  is  no  danger  but  he 
will  find  acceptance  without  any  thing  to  recommend 
him. 

Ministers  who  are  not  themselves  comfortable  in  reli- 
gion, but  perplexed  in  their  own  minds,  have  a  natural 
propensity,  in  giving  the  evidences  of  religion,  to  explain 
and  expatiate  upon  the  intricate  circumstances  and  diffi- 
culties which  they  themselves  experience;  they  will  ob- 
ject to  their  hearers,  what  they  feel  to  be  objections  to 
themselves.  Their  sermons  are  pious,  searching  and  ex- 
perimental, but  very  perplexing  and  discouraging  to  a 
weak  believer.  They  are  good  to  awaken  sinners;  but 
when  thev  begin  to  cry,  what  shall  we  do  to  be  saved? 
they  are  but  sorry  hands  to  direct  them  to  Christ,  or  to 
give  the  consolations  of  the  gospel. 

Uncomfortable  ministers  are  like  consumptive  parents; 
they  are  apt  to  convey  their  disorder  to  their  children  by 
a  hereditary  taint.  They  are  not  unfruitful,  but  their  off- 
spring is  apt  to  be  weakly.  It  is  not  difficult,  or  uncom- 
mon to  direct  sinners  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  to  speak 
against  justification  by  works;  but  when  we  come  to  ex- 
plain faith,  or  to  show  how  a  sinner  believes,  we  often 
miss  the  mark;  and  by  a  mistake  here,  in  the  very  con- 
ditionary  article  of  our  salvation,  we  subvert  the  very 
principles  of  the  gospel.  For  instance,  to  make  faith  to 
consist  in  the  articles  which  I  have  enumerated  above,  or 
to  make  them  prerequisites  to  faith,  is  very  bad  divinity 
and  a  kind  of  a  plausible  way  to  throw  away  the  cross, 
and  to  adhere  still  to  the  covenant  of  works  under  a 
disguise. 


527 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  same  subject  continued. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  give  as  an  evidence  of  an  in- 
terest in  Christ,  that  we  do  not  allow  ourselves  to  commit 
any  known  sin;  that  we  do  not  wilfully  commit  any  sin; 
that  we  do  not  live  in  any  known  sin;  that  we  live  wilful- 
ly in  the  neglect  of  no  known  duty;  that  we  are  always 
engaged  in  the  vigorous  exercise  of  religion;  that  we  have 
no  love  to  sin,  or  any  inclination  towards  that  which  is 
evil;  that  we  love  God  with  a  steady,  uniform  and  una- 
bated ardour;  that  we  enjoy  constantly  sweet  communion 
with  God;  that  we  live  entirely  above  the  world,  &.c.  On 
the  other  hand  it  is  said  that  one  sin  will  prevent  the 
union  betwixt  Christ  and  the  soul;  if  we  live  in  the  wilful 
act  of  one  sin  we  are  unbelievers;  if  we  wilfully  omit  one 
known  duty,  we  have  no  religion;  and  a  great  variety  of 
such  characteristics  are  laid  down  as  standing  rules,  or 
criterions  by  which  we  are  to  know  whether  we  have 
religion  or  not. 

1  have  often  wondered  that  men  who  are  acquainted 
with  their  own  hearts  do  not  consider  better  what  they 
say  in  a  matter  of  such  vast  importance  as  this.  There  is 
no  christian  under  the  sun  but  what  wilfully  commits 
sin  every  day  he  lives.  And  there  are  no  other  sins  com- 
mitted but  wilful  sins.  I  grant  there  are  sins  of  ignorance; 
but  there  is  no  such  thing  as  accidental  sin.  Both  sin  and 
holiness  originate,  or  consist  in  the  choice,  or  inclina- 
tions of  the  mind;  those  acts  which  are  not  wilful,  are  ac- 
cidental, and  consequently  neither  virtuous  nor  vicious. 
I  grant  that  christians  may  do  things  wrong  ignorantly; 
in  this  case  the  action  is  voluntary  although  the  choice 
was  not  to  sin;  perhaps  if  they  had  known  it  was  wrong 
tliey  would  not  have  done  so.  If  this  is  what  is  meant  by 


528 

not  sinning  wilfully,  I  would  ask  does  a  christian  sin  no 
other  way  than  ignorantly?  The  answer  is  plain;  that  he 
does  every  day  he  lives.  What  man  could  pretend  that 
he  loves  God  as  the  perfect  law  requires?  or  his  neigh- 
bour as  himself?  Does  the  best  christian  this  side  heaven 
keep  one  single  sabbath  perfectly  holy  to  the  Lord?  Does 
he  not  allow  of  some  wrong  thoughts,  or  words,  or  even 
actions?  or  are  these  sins  too  little  to  be  noticed  in  the 
characteristics  of  a  true  christian?  We  cannot  with  pro- 
priety say  that  a  christian  has  no  inclination  to  sin;  for  the 
truth  is  he  has,  and  he  will  have,  while  ever  there  is  a 
remnant  of  corruption  in  him;  and  that  will  be  till  he  dies. 
If  you  say  the  christian  does  not  live  habitually  in  any 
one,  I  know  he  wishes  not  to  do  it;  and  tries  not  to  do  it; 
but  the  matter  is,  does  he  find  by  experience  that  he  does 
not  do  it?  You  say  not  wilfully.  I  ask  does  he  do  it  acci- 
dentally? And  what  is  the  great  difference  betwixt  com- 
mitting one  sin  continually  or  habitually,  and  committing 
one  sin  now  and  another  then,  and  so,  to  add  sin  to  sin? 
and  which  is  the  worst  habit?  Is  the  christian  never  cold 
in  religion?  Does  he  not  sometimes  put  off  his  coat,  and 
is  too  lazy  to  put  it  on,  even  to  open  to  his  beloved?  Does 
his  heart  ever  witness  that  he  is  sometimes  too  lazy  or  too 
busy  to  pray?  and  that  he  often  prays  with  very  cold  de- 
sires? Does  not  the  world  often  insnare  him  and  draw 
his  heart  off  from  God  and  religion?  Does  not  the  chris- 
tian feel  himself  sometimes  deserted  of  God  and  left  to 
wish  it  Avas  with  him  as  in  days  past?  And  does  he  not 
sometimes  feel  his  heart  so  dead  and  stupid  that  he  is 
ready  to  conclude  that  he  has  no  uneasiness  about  it? 

Now  if  a  man  was  to  tell  me  that  he  had  no  experience 
of  these  things,  and  I  believed  he  told  me  the  truth,  I 
would,  I  hope,  be  honest  enough  to  tell  him  that  he  knew 
neither  God,  nor  himself,  and  was  absolutely  destitute  of 
religion. 


529 

1  ask  again,  did  David  sin  wilfully  when  he  committed 
adultery  with  Unaii's  wifcP  Did  lie  wilfully  send  toi  Lii- 
ah  in  order  to  conceal  his  erim(  ?  Was  he  wilfull}  rhc 
cause  of  the  murder  of  Uriah?  Dil  he  wilfully  ttli  lies 
in  two  or  three  instances"?  Did  he  wilfully  number  die 
people  to  the  destruction  of  many  in  Israel?  Yet  uhcn  he 
did  all  these  things  he  had  religion,  and  was  a  man  nter 
God's  own  heart;  not  in  those  sinful  things;  but  this  was 
his  character.  Good  old  Abraham  denied  his  wife.  Where 
was  his  faith  then"?  Did  he  do  it  wilfuli}  '?  So  did  Isaac. 
Was  it  an}-  sin  for  wise  and  good  Solomon  to  have  seven 
hundred  wives  and  three  hundred  concubines?  and  was 
it  wilful?  He  was  led  to  idolatry.  Was  it  wilful?  Did 
Peter  wilfully  deny  his  Lord?  Did  Paul  ^^ilfully  quarrel 
with  Barnabas  about  Mark?  and  which  of  them  was  in 
the  right?  I  suppose  he  was  right  when  he  accused  Peter 
widi  dis^iniuk;tion  and  not  walking  uprightly  and  draw- 
ing off  Barnabas  also;  yet  they  all  had  religion. 

Was  it  a  wilful  sin  in  Moses  to  go  beyond  his  com- 
mission and  smite  the  rock,  when  God  commanded  him 
to  speak  to  it;  instead  of  speaking  to  the  rock  he  spoke 
proudly  to  the  people.  These  things,  with  many  other 
instances  given  us  in  the  bible,  were  not  recorded  for  us 
to  take  encouragement  by  them  to  commit  sin.  But 
when  we  consider  all  that  I  have  advanced,  and  know 
them  to  be  true,  we  certainly  ought  to  take  care  how  we 
hand  out  our  infallible  evidences  of  religion. 

I  do  verily  believe  that  the  grand  object  of  preachers 
and  writers  in  being  so  particular  on  these  points  is  to 
guard  christians  from  sin,  and  to  detect  hypocrites,  and  to 
defend  the  doctrines  of  free  grace  as  not  countenancing 
iniquity.  But  there  is  no  necessity  to  tell  lies  in  order  to 
support  the  truth.  Jesus  Christ  does  not  wish  us  to  con- 
tradict his  own  word  and  the  experience  of  cur  own 
hearts  and  of  all  christians  in  all  ages  of  the  world  in  or- 
der  to  keep  his  people  from  sinning. 

3  X 


530 

I  have  been  at  some  loss  to  know  how  a  minister  could 
so  coolly  and  deliberately  and  repeatedly  and  publicly 
say,  that  a  christian  does  not  wilfully  commit  one  sin, 
when  he  himself,  as  a  good  man,  acquainted  with  the 
imperfections  of  his  own  heart,  must  know  that  what  he 
says  is  either  a  falsehood,  or  it  demonstrates  that  he  him- 
self has  no  religion,  and  never  had;  for  if  he  is  a  real 
christian,  he  is  and  must  be  conscious  that  he  never  came 
up  to  the  description. 

"  Thou  art  inexcusable,  O  man,  whosoever  thou  art  that 
"  judgest;  for  wherein  thou  judgest  another  thou  con- 
"  demnest  thyself;  for  thou  that  judgest  doest  the  same 
*'  things.  Thou  therefore  that  teachest  another,  teachest 
"  thou  not  thyself?" 

Once  more,  I  cannot  but  take  special  notice  of  a  won- 
derful circumstance.  It  is  generally  held  as  a  sound  cal- 
vinistic  doctrine  that  he  who  wilfully  lives  in  any  known 
sin  is  not  a  true  christian;  and  it  is  not  only  held  as  a 
truth,  but  it  is  generally  preached  in  our  pulpits,  and  held 
out  as  a  distinguishing  criterion  by  which  to  judge  whe- 
ther we  are  in  a  state  of  grace  or  not.  It  is  well  known 
that  numbers  of  our  preachers  in  the  southern  states  of 
America  are  slaveholders.  I  do  not  mean  by  this  hint,  to 
introduce  an  argument  on  the  subject  of  slavery;  there  is 
no  necessity  to  say  one  word  proving  the  immorality  of 
holding  slaves.  It  is  a  point  long  ago  given  up  by  all.  I 
suppose  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  United  States,  whose 
judgment  is  worth  attending  to,  but  would  feel  it  a  dis- 
honour to  him,  as  a  man  of  sense  and  as  a  citizen  of 
America  which  has  fought  and  bled  for  freedom,  to  be 
thought  one  who  would  vindicate  the  practice  of  slavery, 
either  on  principles  of  morality  or  sound  policy.  But  I 
do  candidly  think  it  an  oddity  in  divinity  for  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus  to  go  up  into 
the  pulpit  and  solemnly  tell  his  people  that  if  they  live 
wilfully  and  habitually  in  the  practice  of  any  known  sin 


531 

they  arc  not  true  christians,  when  at  the  same  time  he 
owns  eight  or  ten  Ahican  skives,  and  ran  sell  and  barter 
in  human  flesh,  and  knows  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  a 
general  practice  among-  the  people  ol' his  congregation. 

They  do  not  pretend  to  den)  that  it  is  wrong;  they 
frankly  acknowledge  it  a  moral  evil  and  most  abomi- 
nable sin  too  against  all  the  laws  of  God  and  humanity:  a 
sin  of  the  nation  and  injurious  to  the  huppiness,  the  peace 
and  good  policy  of  the  land,  and  contrary  to  the  mild  dic- 
tates of  the  gospel  which  directs  us  to  do  as  wt  would  be 
done  by,  according  to  the  general  spirit  of  the  law  and 
the  prophets.  But  it  is  to  be  lamented,  that  although  they 
are  very  w  illing  to  acknow  ledge  the  sin,  yet  they  are  not 
ashamed  ol"  it;  the  reason  is,  it  is  a  sin  practised  by  men 
of  high  rank;  the  affluent  and  the  honourable  and  even 
the  generality  of  the  clergy  are  abettors  of  the  crime, 
black  as  it  is;  and  it  is  a  profitable  sin,  and  attended  with 
elegance  and  fashionable  politeness;  all  these  things  con- 
sidered, it  is  no  great  wonder  that  they  are  not  ashamed; 
and  the  true  reason  is  they  have  not  yet  got  grace  enough 
to  make  it  reach  the  heart.  For  indeed  it  requires  more 
grace  than  generally  falls  to  the  lot  of  slaveholders,  to 
make  even  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  who  ought  to  be  ex- 
emplary in  good  works  to  make  his  light  shine  before 
men,  genuinely  sorry  for  a  sin  which  is  profitable,  ele- 
gaiit  and  generally  practised.* 

But  many  things  are  plead  in  favcur  of  this  acknow- 
ledged sin:   "  I  have  them  now.   I  wish  there  had  never 

*  I  do  think  that  if  the  clergy  in  America,  had  by  some  means 
which  would  not  be  injurious  to  the  pence  and  good  order  of  the  na- 
tion, firmly  determined  never  to  possess  any  slaves,  that  they  might  not 
be  examples  in  their  sacred  character,  in  that  awful  sin  which  hangs 
over  our  country;  the  whoU-  continent  of  America  would  feel  it  to  the 
quick.  There  arc  enough  of  respectable  characters  among  them 
whose  example  would  influence;  and  at  any  rate  they  would  have  let 
tlie  world  see  tlu.l  they  would  not  countenance  a  moral  evil. 

Sin  is  a  dreadful  thing.  It  lays  hold  of  individuals  when  it  is  indul  • 


532 

"  one  come  into  America.  It  is  my  duty  to  take  care  of 
"  them.  If  I  had  not  my  slaves  another  would,  who,  no 
'^  doubt  would  use  them  worse  than  I  do.  So  that  upon 
"  the  whole  it  is  my  duty  to  do  as  well  by  them  is  pos- 
"  sible,  &c."  I  make  no  doubt  but  you  have  some  piil  to 
ease  a  guilty  conscience.  A  good  man  cannot  live  in  a 
knoviai  sin  with  an  e  ssy  conscience;  and  he  must  have 
some  way  to  lull  it  to  sleep.  Any  sinner  will  do  the  same 
thing.  The  drunkard  pleads  his  causes  too:  "  I  needed  a 
"  little  refreshment;  and  I  wanted  to  treat  my  friend.  I 
"  could  not  be  thought  a  bad  fellow.  I  kept  my  sen  es. 
"  and  was  able  to  do  my  business.  Upon  the  whole  I 
"  don't  think  i  did  any  harm."  So  ever}  other  habitual 
sinner  has  his  reasons,  and  palliations,  and  excuses;  and 
who  makes  the  best  excuse  is  to  be  tried  at  the  day  of 
judgment. 

But  the  slaveholder  replies,  and  perha])s  with  some 
indignation  too,  "  what  will  I  do?"  I  answer,  as  to  your 
slaves  I  cannot  tell  you  what  you  either  can  do,  or  will  do. 
Perhaps  the  sin  has  got  such  a  firm  hold  of  you,  that  you 
cannot  extricate  yourself  from  it  easily.  God,  no  doubt, 
will  do  something  with  you,  if  you  can  do  nothing  with 
your  slaves.  But  my  business  at  present  on  this  subject  is 
to  tell  you  of  one  thing  you  can  do,  and  ought  to  do;  and 
I  wor»der  your  own  good  sense  and  honesty  has  not  di- 
rected }  ou  to  do  it  long  ago.  Quit  telling  your  congre- 
gation, that  if  they  wilfully  and  habitually  live  in  any 
known  sin  they  have  no  religion.  For  if  this  doctrine  is 

ged;  it  lays  hold  of  states  and  nations,  and  entwines  itself  round  the 
miserable  culprit,  and  fixes  its  deadly  fangs  indissolubly  fast  in  the 
most  dangerous  spot;  and  it  becomes  impossible  for  the  unhappy  cap- 
tive to  disentangle  himself  from  its  embrace,  until  it  drags  him  down 
to  ruin. 

It  is  a  sad  sign  when  one  sin  begins  to  plead  for  another  and  when 
the  evil  of  pai-ting  from  it  makes  it  best  to  continue  in  it.  But  must 
the  sacred  desk  become  a  prey?  Lord  send  deliverance  in  due  seasor 


533 

tnie,  you  will  most  assuredly  go  to  hell.  You  are  the  very 
person  w  ho  does  wilfully,  avowedly,  habitually  and  confes- 
sedly !i\'e  in  the  daily  practice  oi  the  worst  sin  that  ever 
our  country  was  guilty  of;  and  you  never  preach  that  doc- 
trine I)ut  you  spit  upon  your  own  coat.  I  do  not  say  that 
doctiine  is  true.  I  confess  I  have  more  charity  than  to 
conclude  rashly  that  all  slaveholders  are  void  of  religion, 
even  although  they  do  live  daily  in  sin  wilfully  and 
allowedly;  yet  it  must  be  granted  that  it  is  a  shame  for  a 
christiun,  and  much  more  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  to  live 
daily  in  sin,  and  to  be  an  example  to  the  people  of  a  crime 
that  is  black  indeed  in  all  its  circumstances  and  contrary 
to  all  the  laws  of  humanity  and  religion.  But  although 
you  are  so  weak  and  wicked  as  to  \i\e  in  sin,  yet  }  ou 
ought  to  preach  the  gospel  right,  and  not  say  things  that 
are  either  false,  or  inevitably  prove  that  you  yourself  arc 
void  of  true  religion. 

As  it  is  not  my  purpose  at  all  to  treat  the  subject  of 
sla\ery,  i  just  wait  to  observe  that  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  die  Africans  are  used  both  as  to  religious  educa 
tion,  and  as  to  food  and  clothing,  and  as  to  common  eco- 
nomy and  discipline,  although,  blessed  be  God,  there  arc 
some  exceptions,  yet  in  loo  many  instances  they  are 
awfully  neglected;  and  instead  of  a  religious  education, 
or  even  civil  humane  usuage,  we  are  presented  with  neg- 
lect and  barbarity  too  shocking  to  be  mentioned  in  a 
christian  country;  neither  can  we  think  of  them  without 
feeling  our  very  nerves  recoiling,  and  our  hearts  swelling 
with  indignation.  I  hope  those  who  are  clothed  with 
sacred  orders  do  generally  keep  clear  of  those  shock ing^ 
barbarities  which  are  practised  towards  slaves;  yet  I  fear 
even  the}'  are  not  altogether  innocent;  and  I  also  fear  that 
some,  who  arc  comparatively  called  humane  masters,  think 
that  they  by  their  good  usage  to  their  slaves  make  a 
kind  of  atonement  for  the  radical  sin  of  slavery. 


534 

It  would  not  be  a  difficult  task  to  prove  that  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  one  who  possesses  slaves  to  get  them 
(at  least  the  young  ones)  baptized,  to  give  thtm  a  reli- 
gious education,  to  cause  them  to  attend  family  worship 
and  the  public  worship  of  God,  &c.  And  although  the 
wicked  and  careless  part  of  the  world  would  laugh  at 
these  things,  yet  do  not  divines,  who  study  the  rules  of 
the  gospel,  know  that  this  is  their  duty  if  they  have  slaves 
under  their  authority?  What  then  must  we  say  when  we 
hear  a  preacher  in  the  pulpit  telling  his  people  with  that 
awful  solemnity  which  becomes  his  sacred  character  that 
if  they  live  in  a  known  sin,  or  neglect  a  known  duty,  they 
have  no  true  religion;  and  perhaps  at  the  same  time  he 
has  two  or  three  or  perhaps  ten  or  twenty  slaves  whom 
he  has  never  dedicated  to  God  in  baptism;  who  have  sel- 
dom or  never  been  present  at  the  time  of  family  worship 
or  been  taught  the  Lord's  prayer,  and  growing  or  having 
grown  up  ignorant  of  God  of  Christ  of  themselves  and 
the  way  of  salvation;  and  if  we  must  add  to  all  this,  (it  is 
still  worse)  that  they  are  but  half  fed  and  clothed,  and 
with  all  attended  with  the  lash,  as  becomes  a  slave  to 
oblige  them  to  fulfil  their  tasks;  such  preachers  ought 
to  be  careful  lest  their  own  sermons  rise  up  in  judgment 
against  them  at  the  great  day;  and  there  ought  by  all 
means  to  be  a  consistency  betwixt  their  doctrine  and 
their  practice. 

I  have  been  a  little  particular  in  introducing  this  very 
important  circumstance  here;  not  only  to  show  the  world 
my  perfect  abhorrence  of  the  practice  of  holding  slaves^ 
but  also  as  it  affords  a  striking  instance  of  the  very  great 
impropriety  of  preachers  running  their  characteristics  of 
the  true  christian  far  beyond  the  experience  and  attain- 
ments of  this  imperfect  state.  When  this  is  done,  the 
consequences  are  bad  in  many  things.  It  is  not  a  trifle 
either  for  a  teacher  to  preach  false  doctrine,  or  for  his 
people  to  believe  it.  It  never  fails  to  make  the  gospel 


535 

and  relig-ion  appear  a  most  difficult  thing'.  When  a  poor 
sinner,  conscious  of  his  siiortcomings,  liears  his  preacher 
in  whom  he  confides  as  a  man  of  sense  and  experience 
in  religion  pronouncing  ever>'  one  void  of  grace  who 
commits  one  known  sin  or  neglects  one  known  duty, 
who  does  not  feel  a  steady  and  uniform  delight  in  God  and 
holiness,  or  feels  any  inclination  to  sin,  &c.  his  heart  im- 
mediately sinks  into  despondency;  conscious  he  comes 
far  short  of  the  mark,  he  concludes  that  he  is  a  stran- 
ger to  God  and  religion.  He  never  dreams  that  his  min- 
ister comes  as  far  short  as  he  does;  and  never  could  stand 
the  test  of  his  own  doctrine.  He  immediately,  turns  his 
attention  to  those  evidences,  which  indeed  are  very  desira- 
ble things;  and  every  christian  possesses  a  degree  of  them. 
JHe  tries  to  live  without  sin;  he  tries  and  tries,  he  wishes, 
and  loves,  and  longs,  but  alasl  he  finds  himself  a  sinner 
every  day;  and  every  sabbath  he  is  made  to  believe  he 
has  no  grace.  Now  this  is  a  mere  self-righteous  plan  and 
tends  to  keep  the  christian  always  in  himself;  and  he 
loses  all  the  comforts  of  the  gospel  by  trying  to  be  as  re- 
ligious as  his  minister  says  he  must  be  before  he  can  be 
religious;  and  sinners  seeing  the  religious  always  droop- 
ing and  melancholy  get  out  of  humour  and  are  unwilling 
to  try  to  get  religion  at  all. 

And  indeed  the  christian  loses  his  beautiful,  cheerful 
and  lively  countenance,  and  appears  under  the  garb  of 
distress,  anxiety,  and  trouble.  But  that  my  reader  may 
have  a  statement  of  what  I  think  to  be  the  true  scriptural 
evidences  of  an  interest  in  Christ,  I  will  give  mv  senti- 
ments on  this  important  subject  in  the  three  following 
chapters. 


536 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

How  and  rohen  a  person  may  be  certain  of  an  interest  in 

Christ, 

Have  I  an  interest  in  Christ?  Have  I  true  religion? 
Am  I  sure  of  salvation  on  good  scriptural  grounds?  These 
are  questions  which  the  true  believer  often  asks  and 
seriously  endeavours  to  answer.  It  is  my  intention  to  lay 
before  my  reader  a  view  of  the  genuine  marks  of  a  true 
christian.  Evidences  of  religion  are  external  and  inter- 
nal: the  external  evidences  consist  in  the  religious  or 
holy  life  of  the  christian,  and  are  particularly  the  evi- 
dences we  give  to  others.  Internal  evidences  consist  in 
the  views,  feelings,  taste,  and  temper  of  the  heart,  and 
are  the  evidences  which  should  always  go  foremost  in 
our  inquiries  as  to  ourselves. 

1.  External  evidences  are  simply  good  works,  consist- 
ing in  words  and  actions  or  the  general  conduct  of  the 
christian.  We  cannot  judge  of  others'  hearts  any  farther 
than  we  can  judge  by  outward  conduct.  If  you  wish  to 
show  me  your  faith,  you  must  do  it  by  your  works.  It  is 
by  your  fruit  you  will  be  known.  If  your  life  and  con- 
versation are  regular,  if  you  live  soberly,  righteously  and 
godly,  it  is  charitable  to  judge  well  of  you;  especially  if 
vou  show  a  holy  temper  of  heart  in  the  way  in  which  you 
perform  your  good  works.  A  holy  heart  always  disposes 
a  person  to  holiness  of  life;  and  it  is  the  sole  prerogative 
of  a  person  himself  and  not  his  neighbour  to  judge  from 
what  principle  he  performs  his  actions;  so  that  the  man 
himself  ought  to  have  a  respect  to  his  outward  conduct 
as  well  as  his  neighbour.  But  our  brethren  have  nothing 
to  judge  by  but  our  outward  conduct. 


537 

But  here  we  must  take  care  not  to  look  for  perfection. 
It  wouM  be  unreasonable  to  expect  pcilVction  in  this  life; 
and  u'c  can  have  no  authority  from  the  bible  to  pronounce 
sentence  against  a  man  because  we  find  he  is  not  per- 
fectly holy  in  his  life.  The  scripture  says  if  a  just  man 
falls  seven  times  lie  shall  rise  again;  and  if  thy  brother 
trespass  seven  times  in  a  day  and  repent  thou  shalt  for- 
give him;  yea  even  to  seventy  times  seven.  Da\'id  said 
this  is  mine  infirmity;  and  iniquity  prevailed  against  him. 
U|>on  the  whole  the  experience  of  all  christians  is  a  tes- 
timony of  the  truth  of  the  scripture  doctrine  of  imper- 
fection in  this  life.  So  that  while  on  the  one  hand  we 
should  not  in  the  least  degree  encourage  a  loose  inatten- 
tion to  the  perfect  rules  of  religion;  )  et  we  ought  to  be 
cautious  in  pronouncing  our  anathemas  if  we  find  our 
brother  has  been  overtaken  in  a  fault. 

2.  Internal  evidences  are  the  acts  of  the  will;  they  may 
be  called  by  different  names  such  as  choice,  disposition, 
affections,  desires  or  love,  hatred,  delight,  &:c.  And  the 
special  object  of  those  exercises  is  what  ascertains  the 
characteristic.  The  mternal  evidences  of  an  interest  in 
Christ  may  be  included  under  two  heads,  faith  and 
holiness;  and  by  adding  to  this  a  correspondent  life,  we 
havf  indeed  the  scriptural  testimony  of  a  gracious  state. 

Here  again  it  is  necessary  to  observe  that  we  are  no 
more  to  expect  perfection  in  our  hearts  than  in  our  Jives. 
Grace  does  not  consist  in  having  nothing  wrong,  but  in 
having  something  right  If  a  man  has  much  corruption, 
if  he  has  some  genuine  holiness,  he  is  interested  in  Christ, 
and  is  in  a  gracious  state.  If  he  is  full  of  unbelieving 
fears  and  doubts,  yet  if  he  has  the  least  grain  of  faith  he 
is  united  to  Christ,  and  is  interested  in  all  the  blessings 
of  the  covenant  of  grace.  We  should  never  determine 
our  evidences  by  quantity.  If  they  are  only  of  the  right 
kind,  the  least  discernible  degree  is  as  substantial  and 
certain  as  ten  times  the  quantity.  Neither  ought  we  to 

r>  Y  " 


538 

detenriine  our  evidences  of  grace  by  number;  for  he  who 
has  teii  cii  cumstances  evidently  showing  the  various  ex- 
ercises of  grace,  is  not  any  surer  of  salvation;  that  is,  his 
salvation  is  not  a  whit  surer  than  his  who  ha&  but  one.  It 
is  not  like  a  legal  trial  where  judgment  goes  according  to 
preponderance  of  evidence,  sometimes  by  number  and 
sometimes  by  degree;  for  one  single  principle  in  the  heart 
truly  gracious  will  overthrow  ten  thousand  evidences  for 
sin.  If  a  man  really  hates  sin  as  dishonouring  to  God,  his 
heart  may  be  full  of  opposing  principles,  yet  even  if  his 
heart  was  very  bad  naturally  and  far  from  perfection,  }'et 
he  has  grace  or  he  never  would  hate  sin.  Thus  Paul,  be- 
cause he  had  a  delight  in  the  law  of  God,  although  he  had 
a  body  of  death,  and  found  not  how  to  perform  even  when 
he  had  a  will,  yet  he  did  not  scruple  his  gracious  state. 

There  is  much  mischief  done  here  both  by  preachers 
and  people;  e.  g.  when  a  preacher  is  enumerating  a  num- 
ber of  evidences,  as  is  very  proper,  a  poor  distressed  soul 
while  one  evidence  is  handed  out  feels  comfortable,  be- 
cause he  is  conscious  he  possesses  it;  perhaps  the  next 
overthrows  him,  because  he  cannot  see  it  so  clear  as  he 
did  the  other;  and  perhaps  when  the  sermon  is  done  he 
finds  himself  possessing  about  the  half  of  them;  but,  alas! 
because  he  cannot  grasp  the  whole  he  concludes  he  has 
no  grace;  and  perhaps  at  the  same  time  another  person 
could  apply  what  he  could  not,  and  could  not  take  those 
he  could;  and  he  is  in  the  very  same  case  because  he  could 
not  take  the  whole.  And  perhaps  the  preacher  gives  an 
unhappy  turn,  either  by  pronouncing  judgment  at  the 
close  of  every  evidence,  carrying  the  idea  that  every  man 
is  graceless  who  has  not  this,  which  is  often  imprudent; 
instead  of  saying  every  man  has  grace  who  has  felt  as  he 
has  described,  which  is  almost  always  the  most  prudent 
manner  of  expression.  Or,  perhaps,  as  I  have  heard  often, 
the  whole  is  taken  together  at  the  close  of  the  descrip- 
tion; and  every  one  is  pronounced  graceless  who  does  no* 


539 

possess  the  whole;  and  ])erliaps  the  description  has  been 
so  high  tliat  even  an  anii-cl  could  hardly  reach  to  it.  This 
is  always  imprudent,  and  does  much  harm;  and  all  the 
good  it  doe«  is  to  make  a  christian  hang  his  head  and 
conclude  he  has  no  religion. 

Kvery  true  christian  feels  often  afraid  of  hypocrisy;  and 
preachers  generally  urge  as  to  this.  Although  this  is  very 
proper  and  produces  good  eftects,  when  conducted  with 
prudence;  yet  when  it  is  misplaced  it  is  productive  of 
effects  verv  hurtful  to  christians  and  the  cause  of  reli- 
gion. A  preacher  ought  to  warn  his  people  against  hypo- 
crisy; and  people  ought  to  take  the  warning.  But  I  do 
not  like  a  minister  to  preach  as  if  he  thought  all  professing 
christians  were  hypocrites,  except  himself  and  two  or 
three  more  who  are  very  eminent  for  piety;  or  to  paini 
the  character  so  artfully,  that  it  would  be  impossible  tc 
escape  being  a  hypocrite,  unless  in  case  of  perfeclion. 
Such  over  ticklish  discourses  always  make  christians 
mere  slaves  to  religion;  and  christians  who  are  overly 
afraid  not  only  of  hypocrisy,  but  also  lest  they  themselves 
are  hypocrites,  are  always,  bowed  down  with  sore  appre- 
hensions of  danger,  even  where  there  is  none,  and  as  Dr. 
Young  says,  make  a  thousand  deaths  by  fearing  one. 
There  is  no  necessity  for  a  person  to  be  always  ready  to 
give  up  the  ghost  for  fear  he  is  not  honest.  An  honest 
heart  will  always  speak  for  itself;  and  it  is  not  so  very  dif- 
ficult to  tell  a  mere  dissembler  from  an  honest  child  of 
God.  Imperfection  in  heart  does  not  make  a  man  a  hy- 
pocrite; weakness  in  faith  does  not,  neither  does  selfish 
motives,  or  consulting  for  one's  best  interest;  and  to  act 
accordingly,  a  good  christian  may  have  all  this;  but  to  be 
a  hypocrite  is  to  pretend  to  be  what  we  are  not.  We 
should  be  afraid  of  hypocrisy,  it  is  true,  but  we  need  not 
be  afraid  Ave  are  such;  the  first  is  our  dut} ,  the  second  is 
mostly  our  sin. 


540 

Again:  another  error  productive  of  much  harm,  is  to 
overlook  our  faith  in  our  inquiry  into  the  state  of  our 
souls.  When  a  person  is  conscious  that  he  is  a  believer, 
and  has  a  suitable  exercise  of  faith  on  Christ,  he  can  dis- 
cover the  corresponding  or  consequential  evidences  of 
grace  with  some  ease  and  propriet\\  But  when  he  is 
scrupulous  of  this  he  can  never  be  satisfied  in  any  thing 
else.  If  a  man  is  not  conscious  of  his  having  given  up  his 
heart  to  Christ  on  the  proposals  of  the  gospel,  so  that  he 
has  his  trust  fixed  on  him  in  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  all 
the  regularity  of  his  life  or  the  holiness  of  his  heart  will 
not  ascertain  his  interest  in  the  Redeemer  to  his  comfort. 
I  confess  that  a  holy  heart  is  a  sure  mark  of  grace,  and  does 
really  prove  that  a  man  has  faith  and  is  interested  in  Christ; 
because  holiness  is  always  the  effect  of  an  interest  in 
Christ.  But  God  has  ordained  or  fixed  the  gospel  plan, 
so  that  no  man  can  be  comfortable  without  he  puts  his  trust 
in  him;  and  it  is  impossible  to  trust  in  Christ  unless  we 
are  conscious  that  we  have  submitted  to  the  gospel.  It  is 
by  believing  we  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glor} ;  and  in  believing  v/e  have  joy,  and  our  fears  and 
anxieties  are  removed  when  we  know  whom  we  have  be- 
lieved, and  are  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  what  we 
have  committed  to  him  against  that  day.  When  we  ex- 
amine ourselves  we  should  make  faith  itself  the  primary 
inquiry;  we  should  examine  ourselves  whether  we  be  in 
the  fliith. 

But  when  we  neglect  this,  we  begin  and  end  our  ex- 
aminations in  darkness,  and  are  never  able  to  draw  any 
conclusion  with  any  solid  comfort.  Examination  into  our 
state  of  holiness,  repentance,  love  to  God,  hatred  to  sin, 
&c.  are  called  the  reflex  acts  of  fliith.  I  do  not  contend 
whether  the  phrase  is  proper  or  not;  but  we  will  make  a 
miserable  hand  of  reflecting  unless  we  have  some  faith  to 
go  upon.  It  is  indeed  poorly  worth  while  to  build  fabrics 
in  the  air;  we  may  talk  of  determining  our  states  by  the 


541 

graces  of  holiness  in  our  hearts;  and  it  is  not  at  all  difli- 
cult  to  do  the  wind  work;  but  let  us  try  it  in  praetiee,  and 
we  will  find  on  the  experiment  that  we  must  put  our  trust 
in  Christ,  as  poor  wretched  sinners,  before  we  can  be  sure 
of  our  interest  in  the  gospel  plan;  for  this  sim])le  reason, 
because  faith  and  not  holiness  is  the  only  condition  of  our 
personal  interest  in  the  blessings  of  it;  and  we  must  ascer- 
tain the  one  before  we  can  ascertain  the  other.  But  when 
we  never  consider  that  faith  is  as  clear  an  evidence  of 
our  interest  in  the  gospel  as  holiness  can  possibly  be  and 
so  neglect  it,  and  bend  our  force  in  our  inquiries  toward 
holiness,  we  neither  look  to  Christ  nor  trust  to  the  pro- 
mises of  the  gospel;  and  we  always  labour  in  vain  and  are 
sure  to  feel  the  unhappy  effects  of  it. 

I  am  well  aware  that  it  is  urged  that  we  ought  to  ascer- 
tain our  faith  by  the  effects  it  produces  in  our  hearts  and 
lives,  before  we  conclude  that  we  are  believers;  and  I 
confess,  at  first  sight,  this  theory  looks  well  and  promises 
fair.  This  is  the  old  established  system,  which  has  been 
the  means  of  holding  many  a  precious  soul  in  darkness 
and  distress.  And  I  have  only  one  objection  to  it;  and 
that  is,  (to  use  an  old  proverb)  it  always  puts  the  cart 
before  the  horse.  I  am  well  satisfied  it  will  tally  with  no 
man's  experience  who  ever  arrived  to  a  comfortable  as- 
surance of  his  salvation;  and  whenever  a  comforTablc 
christian  get»  into  doubts  of  his  interest  in  Christ,  this  is 
the  very  cause  of  it;  and  he  will,  as  sure  as  he  exists,  con- 
tinue comfortless  until  he  begins  with  his  faith,  and 
comes  on  the  simple  call  of  the  gospel,  independent  of 
all  his  marks  and  evidences  of  grace,  and  casts  himself  as 
a  lost  sinner  at  the  foot  of  divine  mercy,  with  a  hearty 
surrender  of  all  into  the  hands  of  a  crucified  Saviour; 
then,  yes  then,  and  not  till  then,  the  sun  will  break  forth 
as  from  behind  a  cloud;  and  he  will  be  ready  to  acknow- 
ledge the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  his  dear  Redeemer  in 
every  good  thing  he  feels  in  him  or  about  him. 


542 

Faith  is  not  a  mere  problematical  thing  which  can  only 
be  ascertained  by  mathematical  demonstration.  It  is  po- 
sitively felt  in  the  heart,  and  is  ascertained  by  sensible 
experiments.  It  has  its  evidences,  I  grant,  in  its  effects; 
but  you  cannot  with  all  your  logic  satisfy  a  christian  that 
he  has  it,  unless  he  is  conscious  that  he  feels  his  very  soul 
believing  in  Christ.  He  may  acknowledge  that  he  does 
love  God,  and  longs  to  be  like  him;  and  that  he  hates  sin 
and  longs  to  be  delivered  from  it,  as  most  detestable;  and 
that  he  loathes  his  own  heart,  and  is  ready  to  be  reveng- 
ed on  every  lust,  if  he  could  only  get  at  them,  &:c.  and 
it  would  be  very  easy  for  you  to  demonstrate  on  those 
principles  the  certainty  of  his  gracious  state;  but  he  is 
not  going  to  take  your  demonstration;  he  feels  too  much 
sin  with  all  his  goodness;  he  considers  himself  a  mere 
sink  of  iniquity;  and  he  will  not  take  your  saij  so  for 
proof,  nor  yet  your  logical  arguments  as  decisive.  Now, 
what  is  the  reason?  Is  the  man  a  fool?  No:  he  could 
argue  just  as  well  with  you,  as  you  can  with  him,  on 
the  very  same  subject,  and  prove  you  to  be  a  christian 
as  well  as  you  him.  But  the  whole  mystery  is,  the  poor 
man  has  lost  his  confidence  in  Christ;  only  persuade,  by 
some  well  timed  offer  of  free  and  full  salvation,  the  poor 
wretch  to  come  just  as  he  is  to  Christ,  and  by  a  fsithful 
promise  bring  him  to  put  his  whole  dependence  in  him 
for  salvation,  and  ihe  bu:iness  is  all  settled;  and  you  have 
a  comfortable  christian  who  can  now  both  see  and  feel  his 
evidences  of  grace.  But  to  pretend  or  attempt  to  persuade 
him  that  he  has  faith,  before  he  feels  it,  is  vain  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes.  He  who  is  in  engaged  in  search  of  evi- 
dences in  his  heart,  to  evince  his  interest  in  the  gospel, 
and  at  the  same  time  has  no  suitable  view  of  Christ  in 
the  offers  and  promises,  is  in  quest  of  a  Saviour,  and  he 
feels  a  disposition  to  make  a  little  saviour  of  every  grace 
he  finds  in  his  heart;  and  it  is  in  vain  to  \varn  him  of  it 
and  forbid  him  to  do  it;  he  thinks  there  is  no  danger;  for 


543 

he  finds  so  much  corruption  mixt  witli  liis  grace,  that  he 
rather  quarrels  with,  and  runs  them  dow  n  than  trusts  to 
them;  and  he  does  not  suspect  the  cunning  of  his  own 
heart  while  he  frets  because  his  own  goodness  is  not  wor- 
thy of  his  confidence.  Hut  if  he  was  conscious  of  his  be- 
Heving  in  Chrfst  and  putting  his  trust  in  him,  he  would 
have  the  radical  evidence  of  his  interest  in  Christ)  in  the 
very  act  of  his  soul,  leading  to  Christ,  faithful  in  all  his 
promises  as  his  only  Saviour;  he  would  have  the  perfect 
righteousness,  and  the  truth,  and  unchangeable  faithful- 
ness of  Christ  in  his  word,  as  the  grounds  of  his  confi- 
dence. His  fears  being  allayed,  and  he  getting  footing  on 
the  gospel  plan,  is  able  to  bear  with  imperfection  and 
can  see  grace  mixed  with  corruption,  and  acknowledge 
with  gratitude  as  the  precious  work  of  the  Spirit  what 
before  he  considered  as  only  the  effect  of  mere  nature, 
education,  or  slavish  fear,  and  not  worth  a  thought. 

But  perhaps  it  may  be  objected  that  this  would  en- 
courage presumption,  and  induce  hypocrites  to  indulge  a 
false  and  presumptuous  hope,  and  would  tend  to  encourage 
laxness  and  mere  formality  in  religion.  It  might  be,  and 
no  doubt  is  sometimes  the  case.  Sinners  do  often  abuse 
the  best  things  in  the  world.  But  if  they  do,  it  is  no  ob 
jection  to  the  plan.  I  am  not  disposed  to  lay  aside  a 
good  thing  because  some  are  disposed  to  us^^  it  \\  rong; 
and  especially  to  adopt  in  its  room  ^hat  would  have  i- 
worse  tendency\  I  have  in  substance  answered  such  ob- 
jections before.  I  shall  only  observe  here,  that  for  a  sinner 
to  come  to  Christ  on  the  free  offer  of  the  gospel  just  as 
he  is,  is  not  presumption;  and  after  he  is  conscious  of 
the  consent  of  his  heart  to  Christ  to  trust  his  eternal  all 
unto  his  care  and  rest  with  full  confidence  in  his  promises, 
is  not  presumption;  and  inasmuch  as  Christ  will  be  faith- 
ful to  him  according  to  his  word  he  will  have  the  onh 
chance  that  he  possibly  can  have,  to  be  really  engaged  in 
;md  possessed  of  true  and  vital  religion.  So  that  instead 


544 

of  presumption,  hypocrisy,  a  false  hope  and-  laxness  in 
religion,  it  is  the  only  antidote  and  infallible  cure  of  the 
whole.  The  only  way  to  cure  hypocrisy,  a  false  hope,  Sec. 
is  to  bring  the  man  straight  to  the  cross;  and  then  let  him 
say  with  Job,  "  though  he  slay  me  yet  I  will  trust  in  him." 

Presumption  lies  on  the  other  hand.  Will  a  sinner  pre- 
sume to  refuse  to  come  when  God  calls  him?  Will  he  re- 
fuse to  trust  to  his  word?  Will  he  dare  to  follow  his  own 
plans,  and  adopt  his  self-righteous  schemes  of  accom- 
plishments, preparations,  looking  to  and  resting  upon  his 
sorrows,  repentance,  vows  and  sincere  endeavour  to  be 
holy,  instead  of  Christ?  Is  he  a  connoisseur  to  prescribe 
to  God  iiow  and  in  what  manner  he  is  to  come  and  ac- 
cept salvation?  No:  bring  this  presumptuous  hypocrite  to 
the  cross,  and  let  him  be  cured. 

Another  error  in  our  inquiries  into  our  religious  state 
is,  that  while  we  are  very  solicitous  and  anxious  in  our 
inquiries  about  our  love  to  holiness,  hatred  to  sin,  repen- 
tance and  obedience  to  the  moral  law,  and  all  the  various 
exercises  of  holiness  in  our  hearts  and  lives;  and  while  we 
are  very  scrupulous  about  our  views  and  motives,  ends 
and  designs,  we  hardly  ever  think  it  worth  while  to  think 
of  the  gospel,  or  of  any  of  our  duties  which  it  enjoins 
upon  us  to  perform,  or  any  of  the  sins  we  are  guilty  of  in 
neglecting  them.  We  are  always  poring  upon  the  law  and 
perplexing  ourselves  about  our  duty  and  our  shortcom- 
ings in  the  duties  we  owe  to  God,  our  neighbour  and 
ourselves.  We  are  very  sensible  of  our  need  of  pardon; 
but  when  we  inquire  whether  we  are  pardoned  or  not,  or 
whether  we  have  any  hope  to  receive  it,  we  overlook  the 
atonement  of  the  cross,  and  our  interest  in  it  by  faith,  and 
dwell  with  great  promptitude  and  anxiety  upon  the 
genuine  nature  of  our  repentance  and  our  godly  sorrow 
for  sin,  and  what  progress  we  have  made  in  compl;.  ing 
with  our  vows  and  resolutions.  This  is  an  error  whicli 


545 

does  much  harm.  It  dishonours  God,  and  keeps  the  poor 
soul  always  in  darkness. 

Not  all  the  good  sense  and  correct  doctrinal  notions  of 
the  gospel  which  we  have  will  keep  us  from  it.  The  pride 
and  natural  opposition  of  our  hearts  to  the  gospel  arc  an 
over  match  for  all  the  sense  we  have.  A  serious,  conscien- 
tious man  is  very  ready  to  ask  hiiuself  of  his  taste  for  holi- 
ness, and  to  inquire  into  all  his  duties  of  morality.  But, 
although  he  very  well  knows  that  his  morality  cannot  save 
him,  and  that  if  he  docs  not  believe  on  the  Son  of  God, 
the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him,  yet  he  forgets  to  ask 
himself,  whether  he  has  complied  with  that  all-important 
condition  of  his  salvation,  even  to  believe  on  Christ.  Also 
he  can  enumerate  his  crimes  and  confess  them,  and  be 
sorry  for  them,  and  try  to  turn  from  them;  but  he  is  sure 
to  forget  the  very  worst  sin  he  commits;  which  if  he  would 
turn  from,  all  his  other  sin-,  would  be  eternally  buried  in 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  but  if  persisted  in  will  eventually 
terminate  in  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  is  the 
only  sin  which  must  be  overlooked!  And  what  is  it  you 
say?  Even  the  little  sin  of  unbelief. 

Indeed  I  would  be  far  from  saying  any  thing  design- 
edly that  would  be  in  the  least  disrespectful  to  holiness; 
or  to  hinder  a  serious  inquiry  after  a  conformity  to  the 
moral  image  of  God.  But  we  ought  to  take  the  right 
way  to  do  things;  "  est  modus  in  rebus. ^^  We  are  not  to 
place  the  moral  law  in  the  room  of  the  gospel,  or  to  throw 
away  the  gospel  to  show  our  love  to  God  and  religion.  We 
should  always,  after  a  sense  of  guilt  and  the  utter  impos- 
sibility of  salvation  by  works,  place  the  gospel  before 
every  thing  else;  because  it  is  the  wisdom  and  the  power 
of  God  to  salvation,  to  every  one  who  believeth.  I  am 
persuaded,  if  serious  inquirers  would  ask  themselves  the 
following  questions,  and  let  their  minds  dwell  upon  such 
subjects,  they  would  find  more  real  comfort  in  the  gospel 
in  a  few  months,  weeks  or  days,  and  perhaps  even  in  a  itvf 


546 

minutes,  than  they  would  or  possibly  could  in  seventy 
years  poring  upon  the  moral  law,  withoUL  lisem. 

1.  Am  I  a  lost  ruined  sinner  utterly  unable  to  save  my- 
self"? 

2.  Has  the  blessed  Son  of  God  made  a  complete  atone- 
ment for  sin? 

3.  Is  divine  justice  fully  satisfied  in  that  atonement? 

4.  Have  I  any  chance  to  be  interested  in  it,  wicked  and 
wretched  as  I  am? 

5.  What  is  that  plan? 

6.  Does  Christ  himself  offer,  fully  and  freely,  himself 
to  me;  unworthv  me? 

7.  Does  the  gospel  call  me,  invite  me,  and  urge  me 
to  come  to  Christ? 

8.  Is  the  invitation  really  to  me;  one  of  the  vilest,  un- 
wortiuest? 

9.  And  does  he  just  require  the  consent  of  my  abo- 
minable heart? 

10.  Dear  Jesus  is  it  true?   and  can  I  withhold   my 
consent? 

11.  May  I  come  just  so;  guilty,  helpless,  without  the 
least  recommendation? 

12.  Will  he  not  reject  me,  and  spurn  me  from  his 
presence? 

13.  If  I  come,  will  he  give  me  his  righteousness,  his 
Spirit  and  full  salvation? 

14   May  1  trust  him?  and  will  he  be  faithful  to  his  word? 

15.  Did   he  ever  deceive?    Is   he  not   true,    and  his 
promises  faithful? 

16.  Will  he  not  only  pardon  me,  but  also  sanctify  me 
and  do  all  things  for  me? 

17.  Will  it  honour  him  for  me  to  come  to  him,  and 
trust  all  to  his  hands? 

18.  Does  he  not  give  me  an  unquestionable  right  to  do 
all  this  by  his  own  offer  made  to  me  in  the  gospel?  and 

.  can  I  be  guilty  of  presumption  in  taking  ,the  liberty  to 


547 

do  what  my  Lord  in  his  own  condescension  and  good- 
ness has  given  me  the  liberty  to  do? 

To  assist  and  direct  you  in  your  inquiries,  I  will  annex 
texts  of  scripture  to  each  of  those  questions,  which  you 
may  rely  upon  as  the  true  answer  which  Christ  himself 
makes  to  them. 

1.  Rom.  3.  9.  Both  Jews  and  gentiles  are  all  under 
sin.  V.  10.  There  is  none  righteous,  no  not  one.  v.  19. 
Every  mouth  stopped  and  the  whole  world  become  guilty 
before  God.  v.  23.  For  all  have  sinned  and  come 
short,  &c. 

2.  Rom.  5.  8.  While  we  were  yet  sinners  Christ  died 
for  us.  V.  10.  VVe  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death 
of  his  Son,  while  we  were  yet  sinners.  8.  3,  4.  God 
sending  his  own  Son,  &c.  2  Cor.  5.  21.  For  he  hath 
made  him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him. 

3.  Mat.  3.  17.  Lo  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  this  is 
my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.  Ps.  85. 
10.  Mercy  and  truth  are  met  together;  righteousness  and 
peace  have  kissed  each  other.  Is.  42.  21.  The  Lord  is 
well  pleased  for  his  righteousness'  sake;  he  will  magnify 
the  law,  and  make  it  honourable.  John  19.  30.  Jesus 
said,  it  is  finished. 

4.  s.  1.  18.  Come  now  let  us  reason  together,  saith 
the  Lord;  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be 
white  as  snow,  &c.  Chap.  55.  I.  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters;  and  he  that  hath  no 
money  come;  yea  come  buy  wine  and  milk,  without 
money,  and  without  price.  Rev.  22.  17.  Come,  come, 
come;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  waters 
of  life  freely.  1  Tim.  1.  15.  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.  Mark  16.  9. 
Jesus  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of  whom 
he  cast  seven  devils.  Fzek.  16.  6.  When  I  passed  by 
thee,  I  saw  thee  polluted  in  thine  own  blood;  I  said  unto 


548 

thee,  when  thou  wast  in  thy  blood,  live.  33.  11.  As 
1  live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  the  sinner,  &c. 

5.  Mark  16.  16.  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved.  He 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  John  3.  16.  God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him,  should  not  perish;  but  have 
everlasting  life.  Eph.  2.  By  grace  are  ye  saved  through 
faith.  Acts  16.  31.  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved.  Rom  10.  11.  For  the  scripture 
saith,  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  ashamed. 

6.  See  the  texts  under  No.   .. 

7.  See  also  No.  4.  John  5.  40.  ye  will  not  come  unto 
me  that  ye  may  have  life.  Luke  19,  41,  42.  He  beheld 
the  city,  and  wept  over  it,  saying,  if  thou  hadst  known 
even  thou,  &c.  Matt.  23.  37.  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem, 
&c.  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  toge- 
ther, as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings, 
and  ye  would  not.  John  8.  24.  If  ye  believe  not  that  I  am 
he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins. 

8.  Rev.  3.  20.  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock;  if 
any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come 
in,  &c.  Luke  19.  5.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Zaccheus 
make  haste  and  come  down.  Matt.  11.  6.  Blessed  is  he 
whosoever  shall  not  be  offended  in  me.  Is.  45.  22.  Look 
unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved  all  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Prov. 
8.  4.  Unto  you  O  men  I  call,  and  my  voice  is  to  the  sons 
of  men.  v.  34.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  heareth  me.  John 
7.  37.  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  if  any  man  thirst  let  him 
come.  He  that  believeth  &c.  Mark  16. 

9.  Ye  will  not  come  Sec.  Ps.  110.  Thy  people  shall  be 
willing,  &c.  Is.  1.  19.  If  ye  be  willing  and  obedient  &c.  If 
any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  (of  his  heart, 
which  is  the  consent  of  the  will.)  I  would  have  gathered 
you,  but  ye  would  not.  Prov.  23.  26.  My  son  give  me 


549 

thine  heart.  Rom.   10.  6 — 11.  For  with  the  heart,  man 
behcvcth  unto  righteousness. 

10.  John  6.  47.  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  that 
believeth  on  me,  hath  everlasting  life.  v.  45.  Every  man 
that  hath  heard  and  learned  of  the  Father  comctli  unto 
mc.  v.  67 — 69.  Jesus  said,  will  ye  also  go  away"?  Peter 
answered  Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the 
words  of  eternal  life. 

11.  Matt.  8.  22.  Jesus  said  follow  mc,  and  let  the 
dead  bury  their  dead.  Luke  9.  61,  62.  Lord  I  will  follow 
thee,  but  let  me  first  bid  farewel  to  them  at  home;  Jesus 
said,  no  man  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and 
looking  back  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  Rev.  3.  17, 
18.  Thou  art  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and 
blind,  and  naked.  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold, 
white  raiment,  eyesalve,  &;c.  I  came  not  to  call  the  righ- 
teous but  sinners  to  repentance.  Matt.  15.  24.  I  was  not 
sent  but  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.  Luke 
14.  21.  Bring  in  hither  the  poor  and  the  maimed,  the 
halt  and  the  blind. 

12.  John  6.  37.  Him  that  cometh  to  mc,  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out;  whosoever  will  let  him  take  of  the  water 
of  life  freely.  If  any  man  open  the  door  I  will  come  in 
and  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me.  Prov.  8.  36.  He  that 
sinneth  against  me,  wrongeth  his  own  soul.  All  thcv 
that  hate  me  love  death. 

13.  1  Cor.  1.  30.  Who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wis- 
dom, righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption.  He 
was  made  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righ- 
teousness of  God  in  him.  John  7.  38,  39.  He  that  be- 
lieveth on  me,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
water.  He  spake  of  the  Spirit,  that  they  who  believe  on 
him  should  receive.  Rom.  8.  33,  39.  Who  shall  lay  any 
thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect?  Sec.  1  Cor.  3.  22,  25. 
All  are  yours;  and  ye  arc  Christ's;  and  Christ  is  GodN 


550 

14.  1  Thes.  5.  23,  24.  And  the  very  God  of  peace 
sanctify  you  wholly,  &c.  Faithful  is  he  that  hath  called 
you,  and  will  do  it.  Phil.  1.  6.  Being  confident  of  this 
very  thing,  that  he  who  hath  begun  a  good  work  in  you, 
will  perform  it  until  ihe  day  of  Christ.  John  14.  1. 
Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled:  ye  believe  in  God,  be- 
lieve also  in  me.  Luke  12.  32.  Fear  not  little  flock;  for 
it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  king- 
dom. 

15.  Tit.  12.  God  who  cannot  lie  promised  eternal  life. 
Heb.  6.  18.  That  by  two  immutable  things  in  which  it 
was  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  we  might  have  a  strong 
consolation  who  have  fled  for  refuge,  to  lay  hold  of  the 
hope  set  before  us.  Num.  23.  19.  God  is  not  a  man  that 
he  should  lie,  neither  the  son  of  man  that  he  should  re- 
pent. Hath  he  said,  and  shall  he  not  do  it?  or  hath  he 
spoken,  and  shall  he  not  make  it  good?  2  Cor.  1.  20, 
All  the  promises  in  him  are  yea  and  amen. 

16.  Rom.  8.  28.  We  know  that  all  things  work  toge- 
ther for  good  to  them  that  love  God.  He  is  made  wisdom, 
righteousness,  sanctification.  Heb.  13.  5.  He  hath  said  I 
will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee.  1  Cor.  1.  8,  9. 
Who  shall  also  confirm-  you  to  the  end,  blameless  in  the 
day  of  the  Lord.  God  is  faithful  by  whom  ye  are  called. 
2  Thes.  3.  3.  The  Lord  is  faithful  who  shall  stablish 
you,  and  keep  you  from  evil.  Heb.  7.  25.  He  is  able  to 
save  to  the  uttermost,  &.c. 

17.  Eph.  1.  12.  That  we  should  be  to  the  praise  of 
his  glory,  who  first  trusted  in  Christ.  John  17.  10.  All 
mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine,  and  I  am  glorified  in 
them.  Rom.  4.  20.  He  staggered  not  at  the  promise 
through  unbelief,  but  was  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to 
God.  John  8.  49.  Jesus  said,  I  have  not  a  devil;  but  I 
honour  my  Father,  and  ye  do  dishonour  me. 

18.  Rev.  22.  17.  The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say  come; 
and  let  him  that  heareth  sav  come;  ^d  Jet  him  that  is 


551 

athirst  come;  and  whosoever  will,  8cc.  Rom.  11.  29.  The 
gifts  and  Ciilliiigs  of  God  are  without  repentance.  Him 
that  Cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out. 

Now,  what  does  my  reader  think  of  Christ's  answer 
to  those  questions?  Could  we  ask  an}'  more?-  Is  it  not 
enough  to  chase  our  little  objections,  and  make  us 
ashamed  of  our  desponding  cavillings  at  the  gospel?  Only 
let  the  gospel  address  our  hearts  in  the  simple  words  oi" 
Christ,  and  nothing  can  he  either  more  beautiful,  easy, 
plain,  or  encouraging;  and  we  must  conclude  with  the 
apostle,  if  we  are  straitened,  we  are  straitened  in  our 
own  bowels.  I  am  confident  that  if  a  serious  mind  was 
to  turn  his  earnest  attention  and  study  to  those  texts  of 
scripture  which  I  have  quoted,  and  such  passages,  and 
view  them  and  consider  them  seriously  as  answers  to 
those  questions  to  which  I  have  annexed  them,  it  would 
do  a  thousand  times  more  good  than  to  read  fifty  volumes 
turning  the  brains  upside  down  with  marks  and  signs 
and  evidences  and  criterions  and  characteristics  &c. 
&c.  &c.  of  gracious  affections,  of  sound  believers;  and 
tracing  hypocrites,  and  hunting  up  formalists,  counter- 
feiting graces,  and  hunting  for  legal  testimony  to  prove 
you  sometimes  a  christian,  and  sometimes  half  a  one,  and 
sometimes  nothing  like  one;  and  always  drawing  the  lines 
as  curious  and  as  intricate  as  the  different  colours  in  the 
rainbow;  darkening  counsel  by  words  without  know- 
ledge, and  spoiling  their  good  sense  by  too  great  a  pro- 
portion of  nonsense.  And  all  our  sermons  constructed  on 
such  a  plan,  and  formed  on  such  models,  are  suited  to 
draw  the  mind  off"  the  simplicity  of  the  doctrines  of  Christ 
and  to  make  us  imagine  it  almost  impossible  for  a  sinner 
to  be  saved.  And  as  for  the  comforts  of  religion,  although 
many  have  been  perplexed  and  driven  almost  to  despair 
by  such  finenesses  in  divinity,  I  know  not  who  can  sav  the}' 
have  been  led  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  made  to  sit  under 
his  banner.    . 


552 

As  for  my  part,  I  l<now  not  what  the  world  may  think. 
I  can  content  myself  with  Paul,  to  be  a  fool  for  Christ, 
and  to  know  nothing  but  him  crucified;  and  if  any  person 
chooses  the  same  plan,  he  will  not  be  very  long  till  he  will 
be  able  to  know  whom  he  has  believed,  and  be  ready  to 
say,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save  in  the  cross  of 
"  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  And  as  for  hypo- 
crites, the  cross  of  Christ  will  save  them  if  any  thing  will; 
for  it  is  the  law  makes  a  hypocrite,  and  not  the  gospel. 
And  if  I  cannot  lead  him,  I  am  not  going  to  chase  him;  foi* 
that  only  makes  him  sevenfold  more  the  child  of  hell  than 
he  was  before.  As  for  poor  distressed  souls,  the  cross  of 
Christ  will  d:  aw  them  after  awhile,  once  they  tire  of  their 
hunt  after  evidences;  and  the  blood  of  Christ  will  be  sweet 
to  them,  once  they  are  half  starved,  as  1  was,  on  legality. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  same  subject  continued. 

Wh  e  n  a  man  is  about  to  get  religion,  the  first  evidence 
he  has  of  it  is,  he  is  convinced  that  he  is  a  guilty,  lost 
and  undone  sinner.  My  reader  has  noticed  that  I  have 
not  said  this  is  an  evidence  of  religion.  I  will  warn  you 
when  I  come  to  the  first  infallible  mark  of  saving  grace. 
It  is  now  supposed  that  this  man  is  about  to  get  religion. 
I  will  not  pretend  to  point  out  the  particular  degree  of 
conviction  he  may  feel.  No  doubt  it  is  much  greater  in 
some  than  in  otheis;  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  it  is  much 
greater  in  some  who  never  get  religion  than  in  some 
others  who  do.  It  is  very  proper  that  a  sinner  should 
have  a  sense  of  guilt;  for  every  man  ought  to  feel  his  real 
circumstances;  and  a  state  of  guilt  is  the  state  of  every 
man  who  has  not  an  interest  in  Christ.  But  there  is  no 
true  religion  in  a  sense  of  guilt.  The  devils  have  it  in  a 


553 
very  awful  degree.  Serious  persons  very  often  err  in  their 
notion  about  conviction:  they  imagine  they  must  iuive 
extraordinary  pain  and  distress:   and  can  never  believe 
they  are  right  without  several  pangs  of  despair.  And  they 
arc  the  rcaclicr  to  conclude  so  when  they  read  the  expe- 
riences of  others  which  generally  are  painted  in  high  co- 
lours; and  they  have  not  presence  of  mind  to  consider 
that  the  very  highest  things  are  related  in  books,  and  low 
frames  are  unnoticed;  and  by  reading  a  continued  story 
of  great  sensations  and  distress  which  perhaps  takes  up 
the' history  of  five  or  ten  years  of  the  man's  life,  if  they 
do  not  take  care  they  will  be  impressed  with  the  idea  of 
a  general   scene  which  the  reader  has  not  experienced. 
He  has  had  his  low,  flat,  and  easy  times,   and  only  now 
and  then  has  felt  remarkable  trouble;  consequently  the 
story  goes  far  before  his  experience;  and  the  inference  is, 
he  has  not  felt  half  enough;   he  is  nothing  to  compare 
with  this   good   man;  whereas  perhaps  the  history  only 
contains  an'  account  of  a  few  months  if  they  were  put  to- 
gether in  several;  and  may  be  if  the  reader's  few  months 
were  added  together  with  the  necessary  varnish  of  histo- 
ry,  it  would  equal,  or  outgo  the  other;  and  preachers  in 
giving  descriptions  are  apt  to  colour  very  high  and  go  be- 
yond their  own  experience,  and  perhaps  of  many  others. 
So  that  such  grounds  for  such  conclusions  arc  very  vague 
and  hardly  ever  correct. 

But  there  is  no  necessity  to  draw  conclusions  as  to  the 
degrees  of  our  feelings  at  all,  especially  in  convictions; 
and  we  should  never  conclude  any  thing  by  the  feelings 
themselves  but  only  by  the  issue  of  them.  A  small  de^ 
grcc  of  legal  conviction  is  always  the  best,  provided  the 
end  is  answered.  All  the  use  of  conviction  is  to  operate 
as  a  motive  to  induce  us  to  accept  of  the  ofters  of  the  gos- 
pel. But  foolish  mortals,  fond  of  pain  when  it  savours  of 
atonement  and  feeds  our  pride,  are  apt  to  determine  whe- 
ther they  have  believed  or  not  by  the  quantum  of  distress 

4  A 


554 

which  they  thmk  is  necessary  to  make  them  believers,  in- 
stead of  conckiding,  as  they  ought  always  to  do,  that  if 
they  had  had  so  much  as  was  a  sufficient  motive  to  induce 
them  to  fly  to  Christ  they  have  had  enough.  Whenever 
a  man  has  had  so  much  as  served  this  turn  he  need  not, 
and  he  should  not,  wish  for  any  more;  for  more  is  useless, 
nay,  is  hurtful.  It  is  neither  honourable  nor  profitable  to 
have  such  a  proud  rebellious  heart  as  to  require  hard 
work,  so  to  speak,  to  prevail  with  us  to  accept  of  Christ. 

But  we  must  have  so  much  as  will  rouse  us  to  such 
salvation,  and  to  accept  of  it  when  the  gospel  oifers  it  to 
us.  If  this  end  is  gained  I  would  not  ask  you  a  single 
question  farther  about  it. 

Before  I  quit  this  subject  I  will  just  observe  that  con- 
viction is  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger  and  the  utter  impos- 
sibility of  our  saving  ourselves.  It  is  attended  with  pain, 
anguish  of  spirit,  anxious  thought,  fear,  and  distressing 
apprehensions  of  wrath;  and  these  painful  sensations  are 
more  or  less  according  to  the  degree  of  our  conviction 
and  our  darkness  as  to  the  gospel  plan.  But  there  is  no 
religion  yet. 

Another  evidence  that  a  man  is  about  to  get  religion  is 
that  he,  under  a  sense  of  his  undone  state  is  anxiously 
concerned  about  salvation;  he  does  not  yield  to  the 
wretchedness  of  his  circumstances  so  as  to  become  sullen 
and  hopeless;  but  he  is  inquiring  "  what  must  I  do  to  be 
"  saved?"  It  is  not  material  as  to  the  length  of  time  spent 
in  these  inquiries,  but  the  quicker  the  better  always. 
Peter  could  have  three  thousand  souls  caught  in  the  gos- 
pel net  in  less  time  than  it  used  to  take  him  to  draw  his 
net  for  fish.  I  highly  commend  the  jailer's  and  Paul's  ex- 
peditious activity.  He  sprang  in,  fell  do^vn  and  brought 
out  Paul  and  Silas,  asked  the  solemn  question;  and  Paul 
answered  it.  This  was  quick  work  indeed.  It  requires 
the  plain  apostolic  doctrine  to  do  business  like  this. 


555 
But  some  serious  persons  canuot  be  satisfied  unless 
they  take  time  for  every  tiling;  and  some  preachers  also 
are  afraid  to  hurry  matters  too  fast,  lest  the  man  beconies 
a  hvpoerite  through  his  had  motives.jAnd  the  gospel  .s 
held  back  untilainore  proper  and  convenient  season.  Ihc 
wound  must  be  probed,  the  right  eye  must  come  out 
the  right  hand  and  foot  must  be  cut  off,  before  a  poor 
trcmbiine  sinner  can  be  invited  to  come  to  Christ. 

A  minister  should  ahvays  be  afraid  his  patient  would 
die  among  his  hands  before  he  would  get  him  ready  to 
apply  the  sovereign  remedy.  But  as  to  the  evidence,  it  mat- 
ters not  as  to  time.  The  man  is  in<iuiring  for  life,  and  no 
doubt  working  for  life  too;  but  he  gets  a  discovery  of 
the  gospel.  Perhaps  indeed  but  dimly,  but  so  much  how- 
ever as  raises  his  eager  attention.  He,  w«h  the  degree  of 
lio-ht  he  has,  discovers  Christ  an  able  and  a  willing  Sa- 
vTour-   his  atonement  sufficient;  his  st;>te,  authority,  and 
office  sufficient;  and  his  proposals  cont;uning  <=very  tlung 
necessary  for  his  complete  salvation;  and  all  free  y  offered 
and  offered  to  him,  and  assurance  given  of  full  salvation 
if  he  ^vill  accept;  and  this  the  happy  condition  on  which 
the  offer  is  made,  and  the  only  condition  he  is  at  all  able 
to  comply  widi.  There  are  four  things  he  must  sec- m  the 
gospel:    He  must  see  Christ  an  able  Saviour;  this   he 
Luns  from  wh;U  he  is  in  his  person  as  a  mediatoi,  m  h.s 
offices,  and  in  what  he  has  done  upon  the  cross,  &c   He 
must  see  his  willingness  to  save;  this  he  ^^"   '"    „ 
dying  so  freely,  and  in  the  free  offers  he  makes  to  him 
He  must  see  the  fulness  or  sufficiency  ol  the  salvation  of- 
fered, and  that  it  is  really  offered  to  him;  and  he  must  see 
the  conditions  on  which  it  is  offered. 

Such  a  sight  of  the  gospel  gives  him  a  hope,  and  so 
operates  as  a  strong  motive  to  induce  hun  to  accept  the 
offered  gnice;  but  if  his  views  are  but  ghiumenng;  he  .s 
filled  with  strong  anxiety;  and  hope  and  fear  nsc  and  fa  1 
alternately,  and  maintain  anxious  sensations  m  the  mmd. 


556 

Urged  by  fear  and  a  sense  of  danger  on  the  one  hand,  in- 
vited by  the  gracious  overtures  on  the  other,  uncertainty 
attending  as  to  the  issue,  and  his  immortal  soul  at  stake. 
But  here  I  would  observe  that  there  is  no  necessity  to 
discover  all  the  moral  excellence  of  Christ,  nor  yet  to  see 
the  moral  beauty  of  holiness  as  a  part  of  the  offered  sal- 
vation; no  more  is  necessary  than  what  is  sufficient  to  win 
the  consent  of  the  heart.  I  have  shown  already,  in  a  for- 
mer part  of  my  treatise,  the  absurdity  of  such  discoveries 
antecedent  to  faith.  A  view  of  Christ's  moral  excelience 
would  immediately  sanctify  the  soul;  so  would  a  view  of 
the  excellence  of  holiness.  The  man  in  this  case  would 
be  a  subject  of  sanctification,  holiness,  repentance,  love 
and  of  all  the  radical  parts  of  salvation  before  he  would 
be  a  believer;  which  is  absurd  and  contrary  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  bible,  as  I  have  already  shown.  I  mention  this  here 
to  let  my  reader  know  that  if  he  examines  for  real  marks 
of  true  grace  when  he  is  inquiring  into  the  prerequisites 
of  faith  he  will  commit  a  grievous  blunder  which  may 
perhaps  keep  him  long  in  darkness;  for  he  will  not  find 
them  where  he  is  looking  for  them,  and  he  will  be  apt  to 
conclude,  that  his  faith  is  not  of  the  right  kind;  and  this 
will  break  his  hold  of  the  promises,  and  becloud  his 
mind,  and  make  him  write  tekel  on  every  grace  he  has; 
for  it  is  impossible  to  be  satisfied  in  any  one  evidence  of 
reliction,  unless  we  are  conscious  of  a  gospel  surrender 
to  Christ.  When  we  are  disposed  to  look  for  holy  exer- 
cises as  component  parts  of  faith,  nay,  even  as  qualifica- 
tions previously  necessary  to  believing,  we  are  sure  to 
miss  our  object;  for  we  must  be  brought  from  under  the 
law,  becoming  dead  to  our  first  husband,  and  be  married 
to  another,  even  Jesus  who  is  raised  from  the  dead  as  our 
justification  before  we  can  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God. 
(Rom.  7.  1 — 6.)  And  it  is  only  by  faith  in  Christ  that  we 
are  delivered  from  the  condemning  sentence,  or  curse  of 
the  law;  and  becoming  dead  to  that,  in  which  we  were, 


557 

bound,  in  consequence  of  our  interest  in  the  atonement 
by  faith,  \vc  are  by  grace  enabled  to  live  in  newness  of 
life.  (v.  6.)  Now  he  who  looks  for,  and  endeavours  after, 
holy  dispositions  before  he  believes,  and  indeed  must 
have  them  to  make  his  faith  of  some  acc^-unt,  directly 
counteracts  the  gospel  plan;  and  the  apostle  compares  him 
to  a  married  woman  becoming  an  adulteress,  by  being 
married  to  another  man  before  her  husband  is  dead.  (v. 3.) 
He  is  married  to  the  law  and  is  boimd  by  the  law  of  the 
first  husband,  but  wishes  to  break  through  the  obligations 
h.e  is  under  to  make  atonement  for  his  sin,  and  adulte- 
rously  wishes  to  derive  divine  influences  from  Christ  be- 
fore he  is  married  or  united  to  him  by  the  voluntary  bond 
of  faith.  'I'his  is  spiritual  whoredom  indeed.  Christ  is  not 
the  minister  of  sin.  (Gal.  2.  17.)  For  if  when  we  profess 
to  be  justified  by  Christ,  we  still  hold  our  attachment  to 
the  law,  by  making  a  conformity  to  it  a  conditional  article 
of  the  reality  of  our  faith,  we  act  inconsistently,  and  are 
certainly  wrong;  and  (v.  18.)  we  make  ourselves  transgres- 
sors against  the  plan  of  the  gospel  which  we  profess  to 
believe,  and  we  sinfully  (v.  17.)  contradict  our  own  pro- 
fessed system  of  salvation.  And  do  we  think  that  Christ 
is  a  mere  servant  («J*otxovoc)  a  drudge  to  our  inconsisten- 
cies? Must  he  after  answering  all  the  demands  of  the  law 
by  a  complete  atonement,  be  still  bound  as  a  slave  to  the 
law  so  that  he  cannot  rcckem  a  sinner  unless  he  is  holy 
in  order  to  get  an  interest  in  him?  God  forbid.  The  truth 
of  the  matter  is  this:  (v.  19.)  In  consequence  of  the  law 
having  a  penal  demand  upon  us,  we  had  to  make  a  com- 
plete atonement  in  Christ  our  surety,  (v.  20.)  We  being 
crucified  with  him,  and  suffering,  in  our  surety,  the  whole 
curse  of  the  law  (v.  19.)  we  are  become  dead  to  the  law; 
it  having  no  farther  demands  upon  us  b}'  way  of  penalty; 
we  are  therefore  by  our  surety  completely  delivered  from 
the  curse,  and  are  entitled  to  the  blessings  of  the  covenant. 
In  conhe(]uence  of  which  v/e  can  now  live  unto  God,  become 
holv  and  love  him  and  serve  him  in  newness  of  life.  This  is 


558 

not  mere  theory;  it  is  experienced  in  fact;  for  those  who 
are  personally  interested  in  Christ,  and  crucified  with  him 
(v.  20.)  do  actually  live;  they  are  positively  made  holy, 
and  do  become  spiritually  alive.  But  it  is  not  by  way  of 
preparation  to  obtain  a  personal  interest  in  Christ;  becom- 
ing holy  in  order  to  believe  right;  so  that  their  faith  might 
consist  of  love  and  delight  in  God,  and  holiness,  a  genuine 
hatred  to  sin,  and  in  short  a  real  restoration  of  a  holy  tem- 
per to  the  heart;  which  is  unwarrantably  thought  neces- 
sary for  a  sinner  to  have  before  he  can  be  personally  in- 
terested in  Christ  by  a  true  faith.  No:  but  it  is  in  conse- 
quence of  Christ  really  living  in  them,  by  faith,  and  by 
the  divine  influences  of  his  Spirit  in  consequence  of  this 
union.  So  that  this  spiritual  life  is  begun  and  carried  on 
by  faith  in,  and  the  faithfulness  of,  the  Son  of  God,  w^ho  is 
the  author  and  finisher  of  salvation. 

On  this  plan  (v.  21.)  the  gospel  is  not  frustrated;  and 
the  grace  of  God,  the  free  gift  of  his  dear  Son  is  not  set 
aside  (afigTw)  misplaced.  But  still  to  have  recourse  to  the 
broken  law  and  to  demand  a  genuine  conformity  to  it, 
in  order  to  be  interested  in  Christ,  is  making  the  death 
of  Christ  which  is  the  radical  foundation  of  the  whole  bu- 
siness, a  mere  empty  compliment  (^ax^iav)  and  not  out  of 
any  necessity  to  our  salvation. 

"  O  foolish  Galatians,  (exclaims  the  venerable  aposdc, 
•'  chap.  3.  1.)  who  hath  bewitched  you  that  ye  should 
"  not  obey  the  truth  (or  believe,  or  give  up  to  the  truth) 
*'  before  whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  hath  been  evidently  set 
"  forth,  crucified  among  you." 

I  conclude  by  cautioning  my  reader  not  to  look  for  any 
thing  more,  in  his  views  of  Christ  in  order  to  his  believ- 
ing, than  just  so  much,  be  that  less  or  more,  as  will  in- 
duce him  to  believe;  and  the  only  way  to  know  whether 
our  views  of  Christ,  and  the  gospel,  haA  e  been  right,  or 
great  enough,  we  must  determine  by  our  recollecting,  or 
by  our  positively  feeling  the  consent,  and  surrender  of 


559 

Qur  hearts  to  Christ,  and  really  believe  on  him.  If  we  are 
conscious  of  the  fact,  we  need  not  ask  another  question 
about  our  feelings  and  views  which  we  have  had  before 
we  believed.  But  if  we  are  not  conscious  that  we  do  ac- 
tually believe,  we  should  immediately  set  about  the  bu- 
siness of  believing;  and  in  order  to  be  enabled  to  do  it, 
we  should  consider  that  we  are  in  ourselves  lost,  helpless 
sinners;  and  that  Christ  in  the  gospel  offers  us  full  and 
free  salvation;  that  if  we  believe,  or  consent  to  receive  it, 
we  shall  be  sa\cd,  if  not  we  shall  be  damned. 

I  now  come  to  speak  of  an  infallible  evidence  of  salva- 
tion; I  do  not  say  of  religion,  but  of  a  saving  grace,  and 
consequently  that  we  are  in  a  gracious  state:  and  this  evi- 
dence is  faith  itself.  Here  it  is  well  to  notice,  that  although 
faith  is  the  first,  and  the  surest,  and  consequently  the  best 
evidence  of  an  interest  in  Christ  which  a  christian  can 
possibly  have;  yet  it  is  the  evidence  he  is  the  most  apt  to 
overlook,  and  pay  no  respect  unto,  especially  in  a  doubt- 
ful frame.  But  before  I  say  any  thing  more  on  this  most 
unhapjw  neglect  I  must  describe  the  nature  of  the 
evidence  itself. 

Faith  like  all  other  graces  has  its  first  evidence  in  the 
exercises,  or  sensations  of  the  mind  in  acting  it.  The  man, 
when  he  believes,  very  sensibly  feels  his  heart  believing. 
He  may  not  know  that  what  he  feels  is  faith  through  his 
ignorance  of  what  faith  is;  yet  he  is  no  stranger  to  the  cer- 
tain things  he  feels.  If  you  tell  him  it  is  faith,  he  may  not 
believe  you;  yet  all  this  is  no  objection  to  the  absolute 
certainty  of  his  feeling  it,  and  that  he  has  the  witness  in 
himself. 

When  a  man  believes,  he  not  only  gives  credit  to  the 
doctiines  of  the  bible  which  gives  him  a  view  of  his  guilty 
and  ruined  state  by  sin,  and  also  of  the  free  offers  of  the 
gospel  as  I  have  already  explained;  but  the  peculiar  ar- 
ticle of  believing  is  for  the  heart  to  be  influenced  by  those 
truths  he  believes;  so  that  he  approves  of,  and  complies 


560 

with  the  plan  and  terms  which  the  gospel  lays  before  him 
His  understanding  perceives  the  truth;  and  the  truth  affects 
his  heart  and  influences  the  will.  So  that  althousrh  it  is 

o 

proper  enough  to  say  that  the  whole  soul  is  engaged  yet 
the  simple  act  of  believing  is  an  act  of  the  will.  The  act 
of  the  will  is  always  what  we  call  choosing;  we  may  call 
it  by  different  nam.es,  such  as,  consenting,  being  willing, 
coming  to,  accepting,  giving  up,  complying,  yielding.  Sec. 
all  which  words  are  employed  to  mean  the  act  of  the  will; 
the  phrases  looking  to,  and  trusting  in,  or  trusting  to,  al- 
ways imply  choice;  but  they  give  us  an  idea  of  the  exercise 
of  faith  rather  than  the  first  act  of  it.  Thus  when  a  plan 
is  proposed  in  which  we  are  interested,  we  agree,  approve, 
adopt,  coincide  &c.  When  an  offer  is  made  to  us,  we  say 
we  accept,  receive,  consent,  are  willing,  &c.  and  many 
other  such  expressions  are  in  use,  all  signifying  the  sim- 
ple act  of  the  will.  When  a  promise  is  made  to  us,  we 
look  to  the  promiser,  trust  in  him,  rest  on  him;  we  lean 
on  a  promise;  we  consent  to  an  offer. 

When  we  choose  one  thing,  it  is  always  supposed  that 
we  refuse  another;  but  this  does  not  suppose  two  different 
acts  of  the  mind.  The  affections  are  the  sensations  of  the 
mind  under  the  influence  or  impression  of  the  motives, 
introduced  by  the  understanding,  determining  the  will; 
so  that  they  are  nothing  else  than  the  heart  in  the  exercise 
of  volition  under  the  influence  of  motives.  But  we  do  not 
call  these  impressions,  affections,  unless  they  are  pretty 
strong  and  the  will  acts  vigorously. 

I  suppose  these  ideas,  to  those  who  are  not  accustomed 
to  accurate  study,  seem  intricate;  but  I  think  that  even 
persons,  of  not  the  strongest  capacity,  by  a  little  careful 
application  may  see  pretty  clearly  what  faith  is;  and  may 
be  much  assisted  both  to  know  and  explain  the  feelings 
of  his  heart  in  believing  on  Christ,  by  having  a  tolerable 
knowledge  of  the  nature  and  capacities  of- his  own  mind. 
A  common  farmer  can  understand  very  well  how  he  acts. 


561 

if  his  neighbour  offers  him  a  good  bargain;  he  can  soon 
both  feel,  and  tell  him  whether  he  is  agreed  or  not.  A 
man  in  distress  is  at  no  loss  to  determine  how  his  will 
acts,  if  he  has  an  offer  of  relief  from  a  friend.  A  farmer's 
daughter  addressed  with  handsome  offers  for  marriage 
would  not  need  much  philosophy  to  know  how  her  will 
was;  she  would  easily  know  what  influence  motives  had, 
and  what  to  do  and  say  to  express  her  approbation.  How 
easily  does  a  man  of  the  lowest  capacity  exercise  confi- 
dence, when  he  has  a  promise  to  rest  upon,  made  by, 
what  he  calls,  a  sponsable  man. 

Would  my  reader  be  astonished,  were  I  to  tell  him 
that  there  is  not  a  whit  of  difference,  in  the  nature  of 
the  case,  betwixt  all  the  cases  1  have  instanced,  and  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?  and  the  one  just  as  easily  done 
as  the  other;  only  let  the  motives  be  equally  seen,  and 
just  as  easily  and  as  certainly  known? 

O!  you,  say,  this  is  blasphemy!  I  think  no  wonder 
that  thousands  in  the  church  think  this  to  be  monstrous 
divinity.  They  are  disposed  to  believe  that  faith  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  things  under  the  sun.  A  man,  it  is 
said,  must  be  born  again;  he  must  be  possessed  of  ge- 
nuine holiness;  he  must  have  a  divine  view  of  the  glory 
of  God;  he  must  be  captivated  with  the  moral  excellence 
of  Christ;  he  must  be  panting  after  holiness;  he  must 
hate  sin  on  the  account  of  its  moral  baseness  and  contra- 
rie  ly  to  holiness,  and  as  dishonouring  to  God;  he  must 
loiig  to  be  delivered  from  it  as  a  burden,  and  contrary  to 
his  pure  desires.  Moreover  he  ipust  be  influenced  in  a 
disinterested  manner;  he  must  not  be  selfish;  the  fear  of 
hcii  nuist  not  at  the  farthest  much  influence  him,  nor  yet 
the  h(jpe  of  happiness;  but  he  must  be  all  swallowed  up 
in  the  glory  of  God,  before  he  can  pretend  to  come  to 
Christ,  or  offer  to  hope  to  find  acceptance  with  him. 

1  must  confess  there  is  a  grand  difference  here.  But, 
blessed  be  God,  I  can  find  no  such  doctrine  in  the  bible. 

4  B. 


562 

Paul  taught  the  jailer  no  such  things.  Indeed  the  apos- 
tle's doctrine  called  sinners  to  Christ  just  as  they  were  in 
a  state  of  nature,  and  promised  them  holiness  after  they 
came.  Their  way  of  salvation  was  as  plain  and  as  easy  as 
any  poor  wretch  could  wish  it.  Their  believers  were 
comfortable  and  happy  and  pious;  and  they  called  them 
every  how  and  every  where;  and  it  was  just  believe,  look 
to  Christ,  no  matter  who  they  were,  bloody  Jews,  and 
persecuting  gentiles,  idolators-,  whoremongers,  drunk- 
ards, sinners  of  every  description;  every  blessing  and 
grace  was  promised  through  faith  in  Christ;  and  they  got 
it  in  Christ;  and  they  trusted  to  Christ  for  it;  and  they 
thanked  Christ  when  they  got  it.  It  was  far  easier  for  the 
jailer  to  believe,  than  for  you  to  buy  a  tract  of  land;  and 
his  rights  to  heaven  were  as  safe,  as  your  rights  for  your 
land  could  be.  It  was  nothing  under  the  heavens  but  just 
one  cry  for  mercy,  and  one  offer  of  the  gospel,  and  one 
act  of  the  will  to  accept  of  it;  and  three  breaths  did  it  all. 
Paul  could  make  fifty  believers  for  our  one;  and  have 
them  all  shouting  glory  to  their  Redeemer  before  we 
could  get  one  poor  soul  half  ready  to  come  in  sight  of 
the  cross. 

Ah!  but  you  say,  he  was  an  inspired  apostle.  So  he  was; 
and  he  preached  like  it  too;  but  the  true  reason  is,  he 
preached  the  gospel  plainer  than  we  do.  If  we  would 
preach  as  simple  doctrine  as  he  did,  and  determine  to 
know  nothing  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified,  we 
could  make  as  many  and  as  comfortable  believers  as  he 
could. 

Where  does  the  sinner  get  all  this  holiness?  from  the 
law  .or  from  the  gospel?  Not  from  the  law;  for  that  holds 
him  fast  under  the  curse,  until  he  flees  to  Christ;  and 
peremptorily,  on  the  footing  of  inflexible  justice,  forbids 
him  to  enjoy  one  saving  blessing;  and  it  is  faith  only  can 
save  him,  and  not  the  deeds  of  the  law.  This  is  Paul's 
doctrine  to  the  Romans,  and  Galatians.  Does  he  get  it 


S'65 

from  the  gospel?  No:  for  the  gospel  requires  faith  or  pro- 
nounces damnation  by  the  express  orclcis  of  Christ  him- 
self: so  St.  Mark  tells  us.  Docs  he  get  it  without  cither 
law  or  gospel?  No:  the  thought  is  absurd;  and  there  is 
)ione  other  name  given  under  heaven  among  men  where- 
by we  must  be  saved:  so  St.  Peter  tells  us. 

How  then  does  he  get  his  holiness?  Even  by  believing 
in  Christ,  coming  as  a  sinner,  a  lost  sinner,  a  guilty  sin- 
ner, an  unholy  sinner;  and  after  he  believes,  God  accord- 
ing to  the  gospel  plan,  gives  him  the  seal  of  holiness  by 
his  Spirit  of  promise,  or  as  he  had  promised:  so  St.  Paul 
tells  the  Ephesians.  God  calls,  when  sinners  come  or 
believe;  he  justifies;  after  he  justifies  he  makes  them 
glorious  in  his  own  image  and  fits  them  for  immortal 
glory  hereafter:  so  Paul  tells  the  Romans. 

Again!  After  the  sinner,  some  how,  no  matter  how, 
or  any  how,  gets  his  purity  o\  heart,  and  all  things  in 
order  how  does  he  come  to  Christ?  Does  he  come  as  a 
sinner?  If  he  does  he  is  certainly  a  hypocrite;  for  he  is  a 
saint.  Does  he  profess  to  have  nothing,  when  he  has  ac- 
tually got  half  the  kingdom?  or  does  he  come  as  a  holy 
person,  as  he  really  is,  with  the  Spirit  of  God  in  him,  and 
the  image  of  God  on  him?  And  will  Christ  receive  him? 
On  what  authority  would  he  receive  him,  when  he  came 
not  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners?  But  what  would  he 
come  for?  for  all,  or  for  a  part?  for  a  whole  salvation 
or  a  partial  salvation?  He  has  got  part  already  and  the 
principal  part;  for  the  grand  end  of  Christ's  coming 
was  to  restore  the  image  of  God.  This  is  done  already, 
at  least  in  part.  Docs  he  come  for  fear  of  hell?  He  dare 
not  do  that;  it  would  be  too  selfish;  and  it  would  adulte- 
rate all  his  holiness;  and  to  come  for  heaven  would  be  as 
bad. 

Alas!  alas!  is  this  that  glorious  gospel  which  Christ 
and  the  apostles  preached,  or  any  thing  like  it?  I  think  it 
does  not  require  much  depth  to  sec  that  it  is  no  more 


o64 

like  it,  than  the  doctrine  of  those  whom  Paul  wished  to 
be  cut  off  as  troublesome  to  the  Galatian  church,  was 
like  his  doctrine. 

But  what  is  there  in  all  the  gospel  plan  to  hinder  a  sin- 
ner to  come  to  Christ,  destitute  of,  and  to  obtain  what- 
ever he  is  pleased  to  offer?  What  rule,  or  set  of  rules  can 
be  invented  that  could  operate  against  a  sinner  in  such  a 
case?  And  if  a  sinner  would  take  Christ  at  his  word,  and 
go  instantly  to  him,  on  his  call  and  overture  without  pos- 
sessing that  which  he  offered,  would  he  be  cast  out?  Is 
there  yea  and  nay  with  Christ?  Are  not  his  gifts  and  cal- 
lings without  repentance?  Then  does  not  Christ  offer 
pardon  to  a  sinner?  Is  it  inconsistent  with  the  plan  of  the 
gospel  for  a  guilty  sinner  to  come  to  Christ  for  pardon? 
Does  not  Christ  offer  repentance?  Is  it  wrong  then  for  a 
sinner  to  come  without  evangelical  repentance  to  him 
for  that  inestimable  blessing?  When  Christ  offers  holi- 
ness, sanctification,  a  new  heart,  a  heart  of  flesh,  why 
may  not  a  sinner  come  without  holiness,  without  sancti- 
fication, with  his  old  heart,  with  his  stony  heart  to  Christ 
to  obtain  from  him  those  blessings  he  offers?  When  he 
offers  to  write  his  law  upon  the  heart  and  in  the  mind, 
why  may  not  a  sinner  come  without  the  law  written  in 
bis  heart  or  in  his  mind,  that  Christ  might  fulfil  his  word 
in  enstamping  his  image  upon  it?  Once  more;  when 
Christ  says  that  he  will  declare  his  Father's  name  unto 
his  people  that  the  same  love  which  the  Father  has  for 
his  Son  may  be  begotten  in  them  and  he  in  them  (John 
17.  26.)  why  may  not  a  sinner  come  to  him  to  get  the 
manifestations  of  the  name,  or  glory,  of  God  that  they 
may  be  possessed  with  the  genuine  love  of  God  and  so 
bear  the  image  of  Christ  in  their  holy  temper  of  mind 
towards  God  for  his  glory  and  divine  excellence. 

Now  these  are  undoubtedly  possible  cases;  and  sup- 
pose such  a  case  should  ever  be,  that  a  sinner  roused 
from  his  stupidity,   alarmed  with   his    awfully  dange- 


565 

rous  situation,  and  was  to  read  those  glorious  proposals 
of  Christ,  and  give  up  his  heart  to  Christ  on  the  bare 
encouragement  of  the  gospel,  and  so  come,  just  as  he 
was,  destitute  of  every  thing  that  is  good,  destitute  ol 
pardon,  repentance,  holiness,  sanctification,  a  new  heart 
a  heart  of  flesh,  without  the  law  written  on  his  heart  or 
mind,  not  having  those  transforming  views  of  the  glory 
of  God  necessary  to  change  a  sinner  into  the  love  of 
God,  what  would  be  the  consequence?  Would  this  not 
be  faith?  Would  it  not  be  the  faith  of  God's  elect? 
Would  the  gospel  stop  him?  Could  the  law  hold  him 
back?  Would  Christ  reject  him?  And  when  Christ  would 
bestow  every  thing  upon  him  which  he  had  proposed, 
would  it  not  completely  save  him?  And  in  such  a  case, 
would  not  a  sinner  come  to  Christ,  just  such  as  the 
gospel  calls,  for  gold,  for  white  raiment,  for  eyesalve, 
and  for  every  thing?  Would  not  Christ  save  a  sinner, 
exactly  such  as  he  came  to  save,  and  died  for?  Would 
he  not  be  saved  by  faith?  and  would  not  Christ  -get  all 
the  glory?  And  now  in  the  last  place,  acknowledge  the 
truth;  is  not  this  exactly  the  gospel  plan,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  Christ  and  his  apostles?  At  any  rate,  such 
doctrine  I  have  always  found  to  suit  my  case  the  best; 
and  I  have  never  had  reason  to  rue  that  I  have  had  the 
blessed  privilege  of  coming  to  Christ  just  as  I  am,  and 
to  acknowledge  that  salvation  is  through  Christ  alone. 


566 

CHAPTER  XVllI. 

Faith  its  orvn  evidence. 

I  HAVE  said  that  faith  is  tlie  act  of  the  will.  When  a 
man  consents  or  chooses  that  Christ  according  to  his  own 
offers  in  the  gospel  should  save  him,  he  then  believes. 
When  a  man  acquiesces  in  the  plan  of  the  gospel  and 
surrenders  himself  to  it,  he  believes.  When  a  man  is  cor- 
dially willing  to  be  justified  by  the  atonement  of  Christ 
and  sanctified  by  his  Spirit,  he  JDelieves.  When  a  man 
gives  up  the  whole  care  and  manage^nent  of  his  salvation 
to  Christ,  he  then  believes.  When  a  man  covenants  with 
Christ  and  gives  his  heart  to  him,  he  then  believes.  In 
short,  when  a  man  looks  to  Christ  for  his  whole  salvation, 
he  is  a  believer. 

His  consent,  choice,  acquiescence,  surrender,  willing- 
ness, giving  up,  covenanting,  giving  his  heart  and  looking 
to  Christ,  or  any  one  of  them,  is  his  faith.  And  when  he 
feels  his  heart  doing  any  of  them,  he  feels  himself  be- 
lieving. And  when  he  is  conscious  of  those  feelings,  he  is 
conscious  of  his  faith,  and  has  the  first  and  the  most  impor- 
tant evidence  of  his  interest  in  Christ  that  is  possible  for 
liim  to  have;  which  if  he  lacks,  that  is,  if  he  is  destitute 
of  the  thing,  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  have  one  other 
evidence  of  his  gracious  state;  and  if  he  will  not  look  at 
this,  he  cannot  and  he  shall  not  see  any  other. 

This  is  the  evidence  that  christians  overlook  and  al- 
most totally  neglect  inquiring  for;  and  the  consequence 
is,  they  are  always  uncertain,  and  have  to  live  on  a  mere 
perhaps,  even  as  to  the  eternal  salvation  of  their  souls. 
Every  christian  has  it  if  he  would  only  feel  for  it,  (for  it 
is  to  be  found  by  feeling)  and  attend  to  what  it  says.  It 
seems  the  least  of  all  evidences;  for  foith  itself  is  like  a 
grain  of  mustard  seed.  But  you  must  remember  that  the 


567 

holy  bible  is  the  judge,  and  gives  its  judguieiit  ol"  saiva- 
tion,  on  tliis  very  identical  litile  evidence:  "  He  that 
"  bclieveth  shall  be  saved;"  and  of  damnation  on  the 
want  of  it:  "  but  he  thnt  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Doubting  christians  may  esteem  this  evidence  little, 
and  not  worth  notice;  but  the  bible  views  it  as  the  turning 
point;  and  we  will  find  at  the  day  of  judgment,  either  to 
our  joy  or  eternal  confusion,  that  this  very  evidence  will 
determine  the  final  sentence  of  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth. 
Doubting  persons  may  count  it  little,  and  disesteem  and 
disrelish  it,  to  rest  their  salvation  on  such  a  trifle,  because 
it  is  all  our  part;  and  our  pride  hates  to  stoop  to  a  low  con- 
dition, and  wishes  to  aspire  to  some  of  the  noble  exploits 
which  the  exalted  Saviour  has  to  do.  Our  pride  can  induce 
us  even  to  attempt  the  awful  work  of  atonement,  as  well 
as  the  sovereign  business  of  sanctification,  and  try  to 
plead  our  tears,  and  the  pains  and  sorrows  of  repentance 
as  satisfactory  accommodations  to  inflexible  justice;  and 
our  vows  and  resolutions,  and  reformations  in  heart  and 
life,  as  favourable  symptoms  of  our  progress  in  religion, 
and  right  to  and  preparation  for  heaven;  rather  than  yield 
to  the  humbling  evidence  of  a  cordial  submission  to 
Christ  on  the  only  condition  of  the  gospel.  Holiness  being 
a  direct  testimony  of  moral  excellence  in  ourselves,  and 
only  a  presumption  that  we  are  interested  in  Christ,  we 
are  fonder  of  it  than  the  evidence  of  faith.  On  the  othei; 
hand,  faith  being  a  direct  evidence  of  our  surrender  to 
Christ,  and  of  our  entire  dependence  on  him  for  all  things 
and  only  a  presumptive  evidence  of  our  sanctification,  its 
validity  depending  entirely  on  the  engagements  and  pro- 
mises of  Christ,  and  being  nothing  abstractedly  in  itself, 
our  pride  rejects  it  and  clings  to  the  other,  which  is  some- 
thing in  hand  and  makes  us  look  more  clever  and  indc 
pendent. 

We  hate  to  be  told  of  these  things;  but  this  has  a  pow- 
erful  cflbct  on  us  in  our  examinations.   By  refusing  to 


568 

attend  to  the  direct  evidence  of  faith,  our  minds  are  led 
off  from  the  radical  spring  of  all  true  religion;  to  wit,  an 
interest  in  Christ  by  faith.  And  we  suffer  sorely  for  our 
pride  and  folly;  for  we  have  so  much  sin  in  us  that  we 
cannot  find  an  instance,  or  an  exercise  of  holiness,  but 
we  find  also  such  a  degree  of  imperfection  attending  it, 
that  it  looks  suspicious  immediately;  and  here  we  need 
the  atonement  of  Christ;  but  to  bring  in  this  would  re- 
quire faith;  and  we  know  not  whether  we  have  any  or  not, 
because  we  will  not  attend  to  nor  give  credit  to  its  own 
evidence. 

Thus  the  main  article  is  uncertain  for  want  of  testi- 
mony; and  all  the  rest  is  imperfect;  and  we  have  nothing 
but  if  to  go  upon.  Our  ground  of  comfort  will  conse- 
quently run  thus:  if\  do  love  God  for  his  glory,  if  I  do 
love  holiness,  tf\  am  sincere,  ifldo  hate  sin  as  I  ought 
to  do,  if\  do  repent  with  the  right  sort  of  repentance,  if 
my  desires  are  from  right  principles.  But  my  friend  do 
you  depend  on  your  sincerity  and  not  upon  Christ?  Do 
you  not  know  that  you  ought  to  depend  upon  Christ? 
Yes,  you  say,  if  I  had  an  interest  in  him.  Now  there  is 
but  cold  comfort  in  all  this;  and  give  the  devil  a  small 
allowance,  let  him  change  do  into  did,  and  are  into  were, 
and  he  could  say  every  syllable  of  it. 

But  attend  to  the  direct  evidence  of  faith;  and  instead 
of  saying  if\  had  an  interest  in  Christ,  say,  as  becomes  a 
believer,  "  Lord  I  believe;"  throwing  away  your  doubtful 
expressions.  Any  person  can  easily  see,  that  by  taking 
away  the  last  2/*we  remove  all  the  others;  but  let  it  stand, 
the  others  must  and  will  stand  of  necessity.  If  you  do  not 
attend  to  the  direct  evidence  of  faith,  you  never  can  as- 
certain your  interest  in  Christ;  and  consequently  you 
never  can  be  sure  of  your  salvation,  until  you  open  your 
eyes  in  that  happy  place  where  faith  is  not  necessary.  But 
you  may  depend  on  it,  you  will  have  an  uncomfortable 
journey;  and  when  you  come  to  your  journey's  end  Christ 


569 

might  vveli  say  to  you  as  he  did  to  Thomas,  "  Because 
*'  thou  sccst  thou  bclicvcst  (or  art  sure);  blessed  are  they 
"  who  see  not,  and  yet  believe,"  (have  a  confidence  in  my 
word). 

But  you  say  how  will  I  ascertain  my  interest  in  Christ? 
I  ansM'cr,  in  the  first  place,  go  directly  to  Christ  on  his 
own  offer  of  salvation,  by  consenting  to  the  gospel  plan; 
and  v\hile  you  are  making  choice  of  Christ  ai.d  consent- 
ing to  his  pjoposals  or  afterwards,  note  tlie  actions  of  your 
own  mind,  the  choice  of  your  will,  the  surrender  of  your 
heart;  then  believe  this  to  be  faith;  the  a  ery  condition  on 
which  the  gospel  offers  3'ou  salvation.  And  lastly,  believe 
that  the  word  that  says,  "thou  shalt  be  saved;"  is  the  word 
of  Christ,  true  and  faithful;  and  put  your  whole  trust  in 
Christ  as  your  covenanted  Lord  and  Redeemer,  and  you 
will  soon,  and  as  soon  as  he,  be  as  happy  as  the  jailer. 
This  will  soon  take  away  that  if  and  all  the  rest  of  your 
ifs  and  reduce  all  to  certainty. 

We  can  certidnly  know  assuredly  how  we  feel,  whether 
we  consent  to  a  proposal,  whether  we  are  willing,  whether 
we  approve,  whether  we  give  up  our  hearts.  We  can  cer- 
tainly know  that  this  is  the  meaning  of  those  scriptujes 
which  offer  us  salvation  if  we  come,  if  we  look,  if  we 
open  the  door,  if  we  hear  Christ's  voice  or  word,  if  wc 
comply,  &c.  which  lays  the  terms  before  us  on  which 
Christ  will  undertake  for  us.  We  can  certainly  believe 
diat  he  is  able,  willing,  true  and  faithful.  So  that  it  is  cer- 
tainly true,  that  he  thatbelieveth  hath  the  witness  in  him- 
self. Now  if  you  know  those  things,  happy  are  you  ii  you 
do  them.  But  if  you  neglect  the  direct  act  of  faith,  and 
the  positive  evidence  which  it  gives,  to  the  very  act  of 
closing  in  with  Christ,  in  vain  you  search  for  another; 
for  nothing  will  prove  a  contract  but  what  is  a  w  itness 
to  the  agreement.  But  rest  the  strength  of  }  our  evidence 
here,  and  establish  your  interest  in  Christ,  bv  voiir  own 

4C  ■   ■  • 


570 

act  and  deed  and  all  subsequent  evidences  \vill  come  in  oi 
course,  and  can  be  credited  when  they  come. 

Paul  to  the  Heb.  (chap.  11.  1.)  gives  us  these  very 
ideas:  *'  Now  faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for, 
"  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen."  Here  faith  is  repre- 
sented as  the  peculiar,  substantial  evidence  of  the  things 
beyond  oursight,  and  things  we  have  in  prospect.  The  apos- 
tle here  is  not  describing  saving  faith  in  its  act  which  unites 
to  Christ,  and  as  it  is  the  condition  of  our  personal  interest 
in  him,  as  is  generally  thought;  but  taking  diis  for  granted, 
or  supposing  this,  he  is  telling  us  the  evident  ground  on 
which  the  believer  exercises  his  faith  in  the  promises; 
and  he  makes  faith  itself  the  radical  evidence  which  be- 
gets confidence  in  the  believer  and  enables  him  to  trust  in 
the  promises  of  God. 

"  Faith  is  the  substance"  &,c.  (uTros-ao-K.)  The  word  sub- 
stance means  any  existing  thing  real  and  not  imaginary.  To 
analyse  the  word,  it  literally  means  a  post  or  pillar  or  any 
thing  which  stands  itself,  and  supports  what  is  put  on  it.  The 
Greek  word  means  a  thing  which  stands  of  itself,  and  may 
be  firmly  deijended  upon.  Both  the  Greek  and  the  Eng- 
lish word  are  well  chosen  to  express  firmness  and  solidi- 
ty, and  consequently  an  excellent  support  of  our  hopes 
in  our  future  prospects  laying  hold  of  the  unchangeable 
promises  of  God.  "  The  evidence  &c."  This  second  sen- 
tence explains  the  first.  The  word  evidence  explains  the 
word  substance,  and  makes  it  mean  a  firm,  solid  testimo- 
ny or  proof  that  can  be  fully  relied  on.  The  Greek  word 
iAif^o?  means  an  infallible  proof  or  an  invincible  argument, 
and  explains  the  word  \jrQ9'X<ng,  and  makes  it  mean  a  sub- 
stantial evidence,  proof  or  argument;  and  things  not  seen, 
are  the  things  hoped  for. 

A  man  must  have  an  evidence  of  his  interest  in  God's 
favour,  before  he  can  trust  his  promises.  Faith  is  that  evi- 
dence, and  so  begets  a  corresponding  confidence  in  God. 
If  you  carefully  read  the  chapter,  you  will  find  the  apos- 


571 

tie  proceeding  to  give  many  instances  of  the  effect  of  a 
suitable   exercise  of  trust  in  God's  promises.    He  first 
makes  faith  take  a  view  of  God,  as  the  great  Creator  and 
Governor  of  all  worlds,  by  the  almighty  power  of  his 
word.  The  Greek  is  very  strong  language  indeed;  the 
word  for  worlds  (^oi,iwvocr)  will  mean,  beings,  worlds,  ages, 
and  eternities.   The  word  for  framed,  ()taT>;^T<9-on,)  means 
to  bring  to  order,  and  prevent  confusion.  Such  unbound- 
ed glory,  power  and  wisdom,  must  afford  a  grand  founda- 
tion for  the  utmost  confidence,  to  one  who  has  the  sub- 
stantial witness  of  faith,  that  he  is  interested  in  his  favour. 
Abel  resting  on  Christ's  atonement  offered  a  good  sac- 
rifice.  Enoch  walked  with  God  in  the  exercise  of  faith. 
Noah  built  the  Ark  confiding  in  God's  word.  Abraham 
left  his  native  country,  sojourned  in  Canaan,  and  offered 
his  son  Isaac,  trusting  to  God.   Sarah  bore  a  son  through 
the  faithfulness  of  the  promise  to  which  she  trusted.   So 
Isaac,  Jacob  and  Joseph  did  what  they  did  in  confidence 
in   God.    Moses's   parents  hid  their  son  three  months, 
trusting  in  God;  they  feared  not  the  ccmmandment  of 
Pharaoh.  Moses  also  refused  the  honours  of  Pharaoh's 
court,  waded  through  vast  affliction  for  the  sake  of  reli- 
gion, in  confidence  that  he  would  not  lose  his  reward; 
depending  on  God  in  the  exercise  of  faith,  he  kept  the 
passover;  passed  the  Red  Sea  with  his  whole  arm}'  with- 
out danger.  The  Israelites  trusted  to  their  encompassing 
the  walls  of  Jericho  to  take   the  city,  because  the  Lord 
had  spoken  it.   Rahab  was  preferred  after  she  had  ac- 
knowledged the  God  of  Israel,  and  trusted  to  the  oath 
sworn  to  her  in  the  name  of  the  Lord;  and  in  the  exercise 
of  her  faith  was  saved,  by  means  of  a  scarlet  thread  hung 
out  at  her  window  (almost  as  little  a  thing  as  faith.)  Here 
the  apostle  quits  stating  the  instances  particularly,  and 
promiscuously  runs  over  several  others,  and  at  length  con- 
cludes the  wonderful  account  by  saying  "  all  these  hav 
"  ing  obtained  a  good  report  tlirough  faith"  or  having  be- 


572 

come  good  witnesses  of  the  happy  eftects  of  trusting  in 
God,  "  received  not  tlie  promises,"  but  trusted  to  them. 
The  two  first  verses  of  the  next  chapter  contains  an  ex- 
hortation suitable  to  the  evidences  given  "  Wherefore  &c. 
"  let  us  run  with  patience  (which  is  always  the  effect  of 
*'  confidence  in  God)  the  race  that  is  set  before  us;  look- 
"  ing  (or  trusting  in  the  same  exercise  of  faith)  to  Jesus 
**  (who  is  not  only)  the  author  (but  also)  the  finisher  of 
"  our  faith;"  and  who  has  promised  every  blessing  to 
believers. 

The  whole  scope  of  this  passage  goes  to  show  the  ex- 
ercise of  faith  in  trusting  to  Christ,  in  consequence  of  our 
having  good  grounds  of  our  interest  in  him,  by  the  sub- 
stantial testimony  of  faith,  enabling  us  to  lay  hold  of  the 
promises  of  a  God  of  such  boundless  wisdom  and  power. 
How  dangerous,  and  how  far  wrong  therefore,  must  it  be, 
to  pay  no  attention  to  our  faith,  which  only  can  substan- 
tially prove  our  interest  in  Christ,  and  enable  us  to  exer- 
cise a  suitable  confidence  in  him? 

There  is  more  lost  by  not  attending  to,  or  not  placing 
confidence  \n  the  testimony  of  our  own  hearts  in  the  di- 
rect acts  of  faith,  than  the  comforts  of  religion.  The 
christian  becomes  a  slave  to  his  duties,  and  is  sure  to 
think  more  of  what  he  is  able  to  do,  than  what  Christ  has 
promised  to  do  for  him.  It  turns  his  religion  into  a  ser- 
vile  task,  to  curry  favour  with  his  Maker,  and  quell  the 
clamours  of  his  own  conscience;  and  consequently  it  tends 
to  destroy  the  true  spirit  of  his  religion,  which  ought  to 
be  generous  and  noble,  and  changes  it  into  mere  legality. 

•2.  It  renders  it  impossible  for  a  christian  to  perform 
one  of  the  most  agreeable  duties  enjoined  upon  him  by 
the  word  of  God:  "  Rejoice  again  I  say  rejoice.  Be  of  good 
"  cheer  I  have  overcome  the  world.  Fear  not  little  flock." 
How  can  a  christian  perform  these  duties,  who  knows  not 
whether  he  actually  believes  in  Christ?  While  ever  he  is 
in  doubt  of  this,  he  must  doubt  of  every  thing  else,  and 


573 

cannot  enjoy  a  comfortable  assurance.  A  christian  would 
cut  an  odd  figure,  who  would  rejoice  and  be  of  good 
cheer,  when  he  knew  not  whether  he  was  going  to  hea- 
ven or  hell;  and  yet  it  is  his  duty  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord 
always,  and  not  to  let  his  heart  be  troubled.  Some  think 
it  a  very  great  sign  of  religion  to  be  always  doubting,  and 
fearful.  Whether  it  is  possible  to  make  that  a  good  sign, 
which  is  contrary  to  the  directions  of  the  bible  and  the 
spirit  and  tendency  of  the  gospel  or  not,  I  know,  that  faith 
is,  and  always  will  be;  because  it  is  the  very  condition  of 
the  gospel.  When  a  christian  rejoices  in  believing,  I  know 
he  must  have  religion;  but  when  he  doubts  in  unbelief, 
if  he  is  a  christian  he  has  a  poor  way  of  showing  it;  and  he 
is  most  certainly  wrong  as  to  his  duty. 

3.  It  hinders  the  christian  to  exercise  a  genuine  grati- 
tude to  his  God  and  licdeemer.  What  would  a  doubting 
christian  be  thankful  for?  for  pardon,  sanctification,  for 
the  hope  of  heaven,  or  the  love  of  God,  or,  indeed,  any 
of  the  blessings  of  the  salvation  of  his  soul  ?  That  grati- 
tude must  be  very  faint,  which  is  rendered  for  a  favour 
which  a  man  knows  not  whether  he  has  received  or  not, 
or  ever  will.  Tlie  comfortable  christian  can  feel  the  fa- 
vours he  has  received;  and  his  heart  can  glow  with  grati 
tude  and  love.  But  he  who  doubts  of  his  interest  in 
Christ,  while  he  professedly  gives  thanks,  his  heart  scru- 
ples the  blessing  for  which  his  lips  render  praise. 

4.  It  makes  a  christian  approach  the  throne  of  grace  in 
prayer  fearfully,  and  ask  his  Father  for  blessings,  without 
that  confidence  in  his  goodness,  love,  and  unchangeable 
faithfulness,  which  becomes  a  child  of  God.  The  com- 
fortable christian  has  a  plea  that  is  enough  to  inspire  his 
very  soul  with  boldness,  when  he  comes  to  God  in  pray- 
er, "  seeing  he  has  a  great  high  priest  who  has  passed 
"  into  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God."  The  atone- 
ment and  intercession  of  Christ  emboldens  his  heart  to 
ask  for  mercy  and  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need.  But  the 


574 

doubting  christian  is  always  uncertain.  He  asks,  not  in 
confidence,  but  hesitating.  What  a  great  difference  there 
is  betwixt  a  slave,  at  a  slavish  distance  from  his  master, 
asking'a  favour,  and  a  son,  confiding  in  his  father's  love 
and  faithfulness,  asking  with  confidence  that  he  will  re- 
ceive. It  was  a  sprightly  interrogatory  of  the  poet: 

Does  he  want  slaves  to  grace  his  thron  e 

These  are  some  of  the  unhappy  consequences  of  not 
attending  to  the  only  condition  of  the  gospel,  and  of  not 
admitting  the  direct  acts  of  faith  to  be  an  evidence  of  our 
interest  in  Christ. 

But,  my  reader  inquires,  have  we  no  evidences  but 
faith?  I  answer,  yes,  enough  of  them.  But  I  have  insist- 
ed the  more  largely  on  this,  because  it  is  overlooked;  and 
because  except  we  have  this  testimony,  we  can  have  no 
comfort  from  any  other.  It  is  very  proper  to  call  in  cor- 
roborating testimony;  and  what  I  have  said  does  not  in 
the  least  object  to  it.  But  we  must  not  neglect  this,  but 
see  to  it  first,  and  carry  it  with  us  thiougli  all  the  process 
of  our  examination.  The  moment  we  drop  this,  we  drop 
all,  and  get  in  darkness;  and  we  know  not  whither  we  go. 
If  we  were  more  conversant  with  the  gospel,  we  would  be 
more  in  the  exercise  of  faith;  and  if  we  w^ere  more  in  the 
exercise  of  faith  we  would  be  more  dependent  on  Christ; 
and  we  would  consequently  be  less  legal  in  our  religion, 
more  comfortable  in  our  views,  and  more  holy  in  our 
hearts. 


575 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Evidences  of  true  religion  subsecjuent  to  faith. 

I  COME  now  to  speak  of  the  evidences  of  true  and  vi- 
tal religion  which  arc  the  very  tilings  in  which  true  reli- 
gion consists.   Although  faith  is  properly  called  a  savnig 
grace,  yet  it  is  not  in  the  first  instance  any  part  of  religion, 
but  only  the   conditionary  article  which   interests  us  in 
the  covenant  of  grace,  and  so  places  us  in  a  state,  and  un- 
do,   such   circu     stances,   ihai  we   will   infallibly  obtain 
religion;  so  that  it  is  impossible  on  the  gospel  plan  for  us 
either  to  obtain  holiness  without  it,  or  not  to  obtain  holi- 
ness with  it.  Thib  Hiith  being  a  gift  of  God  of  such  an 
important  nature,   it   is  a  saving  grace  in  its  con.RXion 
with  the  gospel,  although  it  is  not  in  itself  religion  or 

holiness. 

But  the  things  of  which  we  are  now  to  speak  are  the 
very  exercises  of  true  holiness,  and  the  consequence  of  an 
interest  in  Christ;  which  none  have  but  believers,  nor  can 
possibly  have,  because  of  the  curse  of  the  law;  and  there 
fore  they  are  good  evidences  of  true  religion,  and  corobo- 
rating  evidences  to  faith.  Every  evidence  of  true  religion 
is  an  exercise  of  holiness;  so  that  it  is  proper  to  say  that 
holiness,  or  sanctification  is  the  summary  evidence,  how- 
ever it  may  be  branched  out  into  various  exercises. 

I  will  observe  again  that  we  should  not  search  for  all 
evidences  at  once;  and  one  that  is  genuine  \rill,  or  ought 
to  decide  the  question,  if  we  can  find  no  more.  It  is  dan- 
gerous to  hunt  for  too  many  at  once;  we  should  take  them 
as  they  come.  E^  idences  of  grace  are  generally  discerned 
by  their  exercise,  and  we  could  hardl)  ever  expect  to  have 
"every  grace  in  exercise  at  once,  but  one  to  day  and  an- 
other tomorrow,  as  wc  are  called  to  it  by  God's  dealings 


576 

with  us.  And  as  the  cliristian  is  called  to  exercise  his  differ- 
ent graces  at  different  times,  so  he  must  expect  not  to  find 
all  at  once,  although  he  has  the  radix  of  every  grace  inhim, 
yet  he  will  feel  only  one  or  two  at  a  time  according  to  his  va- 
rious frames.  When  a  preacher  is  giving  marks  of  grace, 
he  may  very  probably  and  very  properly  run  over  many; 
and  this  man  witnesseth  this  one,  and  another  that,  and 
the  third  a  third  one,  according  to  their  different  feelings; 
but  it  would  be  very  extraordinary  if  any  one  man  could  feel 
them  all.  Perhaps  in  a  comfortable  state,  a  christian  might 
grasp  the  whole  by  the  help  of  his  recollection;  but  doubt- 
ing persons  do  not  love  to  trust  their  memory  in  such  ca- 
ses; they  do  not  like  to  trust  any  how;  they  want  all  in 
hand;  and  it  always  happens  that  because  they  cannot 
witness  all,  they  will  have  none.  Having  premised  these 
things  I  proceed.  And 

1.  He  who  has  repentance  is  a  religious  man,  and  has 
an  interest  in  Christ.  Here  you  need  not  perplex  yourself 
about  legal  repentance;  for  it  is  easily  distinguished  from 
that  which  is  the  true  mark  of  grace.  Legal  repentance 
is  the  fear  of  punishment  and  is  a  very  good  thing,  as  a 
motive  to  induce  a  sinner  to  come  to  Christ.  But  this  is 
not  what  I  am  speaking  of.  Neither  need  you  perplex 
yourself  about  your  motives;  it  is  not  hard  to  know  them. 
The  will  always  feels  its  motives;  and  when  you  feel 
yourself  choosing,  delighting  in,  or  loving,  or  hating  any 
thing,  you  can  also  feel  the  reason  why;  and  that  is  always 
your  motive.  Wc  never  either  choose,  love,  or  hate,  for 
nothing. 

The  grand  reason  why  there  is  such  immense  difficul- 
ty about  motives,  is  not  because  we  do  not  feel  them,  for 
that  is  impossible;  but  because  we  will  not  give  credit  to 
our  feelings  when  we  have  them.  But  what  motive  can 
possibly  induce  a  man  to  hate  sin  who  naturally  loves  it? 
Surely  it  must  be  a  good  one;  and  it  is  impossible  to  hate 
sin  from  a  bad  motive.  It  is  Christ  only  can  make  you 


577 

Jiatc  sin,  by  the  grace  of  his  Spirit  through  his  word, 
revealing  to  you  the  excellence  of  holiness,  and  conse- 
quently the  moral  evil  of  sin;  without  this  no  man  will  ever 
hate  sin;  and  when  we  feel  ourselves  hating  sin,  and  long- 
ing to  be  delivered  fiom  it,  what  need  we  scruple  our 
motives?  Are  we  afraid  Christ  will  give  us  bad  motives, 
or  that  Satan  will  give  us  good  ones?  and  the  more  espe- 
cially when  we  feel  that  we  not  only  hate  sin,  but  also  as 
sensibly  feel  that  we  hate  it  by  loathing  its  immorality, 
and  contrariety  to  the  will  of  God. 

Now,  he  who  feels,  or  sees  holiness  to  be  excellent  or 
right,  and  feels  his  heart  choosing  it,  and  delighting  in  it, 
also  feels  his  heart  hating  sin;  he  feels  that  he  himself  has 
been  a  sinner,  and  that  he  is  a  sinner  yet;  and  he  hates  it, 
and  hates  himself  for  it;  he  frequently  feels  himself 
loathing  his  heart,  his  frow  ard,  wicked  temper  and  dis- 
position, and  earnestly  wishes  and  endeavours  to  be  more 
holy;  and  sometimes  he  wickedh^  frets  because  he  cannot 
keep  his  heart  from  sin. 

This  man  is  the  subject  of  evangelical  repentance;  for 
he  has  got  this  by  his  interest  in  Christ  through  the  gos- 
pel; \\ho  only  can  give  it;  who  is  exalted  at  his  Father's 
right  hand,  to  give  repentance  and  forgiveness  of  sins. 
Consequently  he  has  the  iAifxo?,  the  invincible  evidence  of 
true  religion. 

2.  Love  to  holiness  is  an  evidence  of  true  religion.  This 
is  the  very  same  principle  with  that  of  repentance,  and  is 
indeed  the  fountain,  or  original  principle  of  all  holy  exer- 
cises. When  the  will  of  a  sinner  is  towards  holiness,  it  is 
of  course  opposed  to  sin.  His  will  always  has,  in  this 
case,  a  necessary  reflex  act,  as  well  as  a  direct  act.  Holi- 
ness is  the  object  in  the  direct  act,  and  sin  the  object  of 
the  reflex  act.  When  a  body  moves  towards  the  north,  it 
moves  from  the  south,  by  one  and  the  same  motion.  It  re- 
quires both  to  constitute  true  holiness;  and  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  the  one  to  be  without  the  other;  but  the  direct  act 

4D 


578 

of  the  will  is  love  to  holiness;  and  the  reflex  act  is  repent- 
ance. Philosophers  call  the  one  choosing,  the  other  refus- 
ing; although  they  are  but  one  and  the  same  act  of  the 
will,  yet  the  objects  are  directly  opposite,  and  the  mind 
feels  itself  differently  affected  towards  them:  the  one  it  de- 
lights in  and  desires  to  possess,  which  is  love  to  holi- 
ness; the  other  it  hates  and  opposes,  which  is  repentance. 
Nothina:  but  a  discoverv  of  the  moral  excellence  of  ho- 
liness  to  the  mind,  can  possibly  induce  the  sinner  to 
choose  it,  and  love  it.  Education  and  philosophy  can 
make  us  acknowledge  it  to  be  right  and  excellent;  but 
only  the  word  and  Spirit  of  God  can  reveal  to  us  the  di- 
vine beauty  and  excellence  of  it,  so  as  to  charm  our  hearts, 
and  lay  hold  of  our  will  and  affections.  While  we  continue 
under  the  sentence  of  the  broken  covenant,  we  are  shut  up 
and  hedged  ound  by  the  flaming  justice  of  God,  which 
turneth  every  way  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life; 
so  that  we  are  bound  fast  in  the  shackles  of  spiritual 
death  until  Jesus  Christ  who  broke  the  bands  of  death, 
having  made  a  complete  atonement,  set  us  at  liberty,  in 
consequence  of  our  union  to  him  by  faith.  So  that  Christ 
only  can  give  us  such  motives  as  will  induce  us  to  love 
holiness,  and  thereby  beget  true  religion  in  our  hearts.* 

*  How  unphilosophical,  and  how  awfully  dangerous  is  the  plan  and 
the  principles  of  infidels !  How  is  it  possible  for  men  of  rational 
powers,  with  all  the  advantages  of  reason  and  education,  to  rest  their 
eternal  welfare  on  principles  so  illogical  as  their  principles  are? 
They  can  have  nothing  under  heaven  to  rest  upon,  after  all  their  pa- 
i*ade  about  natural  religion  and  the  power  of  reason  and  conscience, 
but  barely  two  things:  one  is  their  own  morality;  and  the  other  is  the 
mere  clemency  of  God.  Does  reason,  or  the  book  of  nature,  as  they 
call  it,  say  that  a  God  of  infinite  perfection  can  suffer  the  'least  sin  to 
go  unpunished?  If  he  did,  could  he  be  perfect?  If  we  admit  of  the 
least  degree  of  imperfection,  what  principle  of  reason  will  say  that 
God  can  be  infinitely  perfect?  Yet  it  is  abundantly  evident  that  God 
must  be  completely  perfect;  he  therefore  nmst  be  iriflexibly  just;  and 
the  least  sin  must  have  its  due  reward.  Their  hopes  which  they  build 
on  the  mercy  of  God,  must  be  false  and  delusive;  for  reason  contra-- 


579 

If  therefore  our  hearts  are  delighted  in  hohness,  and  wc 
do  reall}'  love  that  which  is  morally  good,  we  have  true 
religion;  and  we  do  actually  experience  in  onr  hearts  the 
hap])y  eft'ects  of  an  interest  in  Christ.  There  is  no  neces- 
sity to  inquire  after  motives  here;  for  none  but  good  mo- 
tives  could  beg«--t  the  love  of  holiness  in  us;  and  none  but 
God  in  Christ  could  give  them  to  us;  and  if  wc  do  in- 
dicts the  idea  of  mercy,  hut  only  on  the  principles  of  a  complete 
atonement.  Deists  must  consequently  be  perfectly  holy,  or  reason 
says  they  must  suffer  for  their  sins.  Are  they  perfectly  holy?  Does 
reason  say  they  are?  Do  their  life  and  conversation  show  that  tliey 
are?  Why  then  do  they  talk  of  happiness  and  the  favour  of  God  in 
consequence  of  morality?  Reason  will  easily  grant  that  perfect  holi- 
ness will  obtain  God's  favour.  But  when  we  arc  sinners,  what  does 
reason  say  then?  Cejtainly  that  we  must  suffer  the  penalty  of  the  law; 
and  that  wc  must  make  an  atonement  for  our  sins  or  that  a  surety 
must  doit  for  us.  IJut  who  is  the  surety  who  takes  our  place?  Here 
reason  is  silent;  and  revelation  only  can  tell  us.  But  deists  reject 
him,  and  cannot  reasonably  expect  to  be  benefited  by  the  atonement 
of  Christ;  and  indeed  they  laugh  at  the  idea.  Consequently  they  must 
make  atonement  for  theniselves.  The  book  of  reason,  therefore,  pro- 
nounces inevitable  niin  upon  a  deist.  Revelation  gives  them  an  op- 
portunity of  salvation,  by  offering  them  the  perfect  atonement  of 
Christ;  but  their  own  favourite  book,  the  hook  of  reason,  shuts  them 
up,  as  fast  as  fate,  in  an  eternal  dungeon  of  despair  and  torment,  with- 
out the  least  gleam  of  hope. 

Reason  as  well  as  scripuire,  asserts  that  sinners  cannot  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God;  but  the  bible  lays  a  plan  by  which  a  sinner  can  be 
sanctified,  by  the  atonement  of  Christ,  bringing  him  from  under  the 
curse  of  the  law  of  God,  and  entitling  him  to  the  divine  manifesta- 
tions of  the  gloiy  and  excellence  of  God  and  holiness,  to  influence 
them  to  the  love  of  God.  But  how  are  deists  to  be  sanctified,  who 
live  and  die  without  an  atonement,  and  consequently  under  tKe  curse? 
The  bible  has  actually  sanctified  thousands,  and  many  even  of  the 
most  vile  and  wicked,  and  has  made  even  some  deists  themselves 
how  to  its  divine  power.  But  the  book  of  nature  *huS  never  sanctified 
one;  neither  is  it  possible  tliat  it  ever  can,  because  it  proposes  no 
atonement  for  sin.  Deists  therefore  with  all  their  wit  and  genius  nmst 
remain  unholy  for  ever.  It  is  indeed  a  pity  that  wise  men  should  be 
fools,  and  reject  the  only  plan  for  the  salvation  of  their  own  souls 


580 

quire,  as  such  inquiries  are  natural  and  agreeable  to  a  good 
man,  the  answer  will  always  be  found  to  be,  because  holi- 
ness is  excellent  and  right. 

But  here  you  must  remember  that  we  are  very  imper- 
fect in  all  these  things.  Serious  minds  are  apt  to  imagine 
that  they  do  not  hate  sin  or  love  holiness,  because  they 
feel  themselves  too  much  inclined  to  do  wrong,  and  too 
little  inclined  to  that  which  is  right.  If  we  hated  sin  per- 
fectly or  loved  holiness  perfectly,  we  would  be  perfect  in 
religion.  But  to  expect  this,  is  wrong  in  this  imperfect 
state.   There  is  a  wide  difference  betwixt  loving  holiness 
and  hating  sin,  in  some  degree,  and  not  at  all.  The  ques- 
tion is  not  how  much  do  we  love  or  hate,  but  do  we 
really  do  so?  The  question  is  not,  do  I  love  sin?  no  man 
can  clear  himself  of  that;  but  do  I  hate  sin?  The  question 
is  not,  am  I  often  too  careless  about  holiness,  too  cold, 
and  too  much  attached  to  other  things?  but  do  I  love  ho- 
liness? If  we  can  answer  the  question  in  the  affirmative, 
the  bible  makes  allowances  for  imperfection.  You  would 
not  conclude  that  Paul  had  no  holiness  because  he  ac- 
knovt^ledged  that  he  was  not  perfect,    nor  had  already 
attained  when  you  find  he  was  following  afterj  nor  yet 
when  he  said  that  he  was  brought  into  captivity  to  the 
law  of  sin,  when  you  find  he  had  nevertheless  delighted 
in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inner  man.  It  would  be  wrons: 
to  conclude  the  spouse  had  no  holiness,  because  she  said 
she  was  black  as  the  tents  of  Kedar,  when  she  was 
comely  as  the  curtains  of  Solomon;  or  when  she  kept  the 
vineyards  of  formal  professors,  and  neglected  her  own; 
when  she  loved  Christ  in  her  very  soul,  or  when  she  was 
too  sluggish  to  rise  to  open  the  door  for  her  beloved,  yet 
her  fingers  dropped  with  sweet  smelling  m3'rrh  on  the 
handles  of  the  lock. 

Upon  the  whole,  he  who  loves  holiness  also  hates  sin, 
and  is  suitably  influenced  by  this  divine  .principle,  and 
has  an  infallible  evidence  of  true  religion.  He  discovers 


581 

tlie  grain  of  mustard  seed  removing  mountains  and  grow- 
ing into  a  great  tree  bringing  forth  fruit  unto  C/od.  He 
has  an  evidenee  of  his  interest  in  Christ;  and  his  faith  is 
strengthened;  and  his  eomfort  is  founded  on  the  soHd 
testimony  of  the  bible.  He  ought  always  to  use  those 
evidences  to  encourage  him  to  put  his  trust  in  Christ,  who 
has  sealed  him  w  ilh  the  holy  Spirit  of  promise. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

The  evidences  of  holiness. 

Our  next  business  is  to  inquire  into  the  evidences  of 
iioliness.  This  is  the  class  of  evidences  in  which  it  is  our 
duty  not  only  to  attend  to  the  disposition  of  our  minds, 
but  also  the  motives  from  which  we  act. 

1.  Love  to  God  is  an  evidence  of  holiness.  And  here 
the  holiness  of  God  must  be  the  motive  which  induces  us 
to  love  him.  Holiness  is  the  glory  of  God;  hence  he  is  said 
to  be  "  glorious  in  his  holiness. "  God  often  speaks  of  his 
holiness;  and  he  commands  us  to  "  be  holy  for  he  is  holy.'" 
I  doubt  not  but  there  are  many  who  feel  a  certain  delight 
in  the  ways  of  God's  dealing  with  them,  and  who  therefore 
speak  highly  of  him,  and  acquiesce  in  his  dispensations, 
who  may  have  no  other  motive  than  just  because  he  is 
good  to  them,  and  causes  every  thing  to  Y>i'osper  in  their 
hand.  I  do  not  say  it  is  wrong  for  a  true  christian  to  rejoice 
and  acquiesce  in  the  providence  of  God,  and  be  very 
thankful  for  his  O'oodness;  but  if  this  is  all,  we  demon- 
strate  no  real  love  to  God. 

Satan,  although  he  was  grossly  mistaken,  thought  Job 
had  no  other  motive  for  his  great  attachment  to  God  than 
this.  "  Doth  Job  serve  God  for  nought?  Hast  thou  not 
*'  made  a  hedge  about  him?  Thou  hast  blessed  the  work  of 
"  his  hands,  and  his  substance  is  increased  in  the  land.  But 


582 

''  put  forth  now  thine  hand  and  touch  all  that  he  hath,  and 
"  he  will  curse  thee  to  thy  face."  And  ^vhen  Job  still 
maintained  his  integrity  he  was  again  tried  as  to  his  health 
with  sore  afflictions  in  his  body;  but  still  he  maintained 
his  delight  in  God,  because  he  loved  him  not  merely  for 
his  good  providences  towards  him,  but  especially  for  his 
holiness.  So  Joseph  loved  God  no  less  when  he  was  a  slave 
and  in  prison,  than  when  he  was  the  governor  of  Egypt. 
But  although  the  sinner  may  feel  an  easy,  quiet  temper  of 
heart,  and  a  cheerful  acquiescence  in  God  as  a  benefactor, 
without  any  love  to  him  for  his  holiness;  yet  when  God 
turns  his  hand  and  makes  him  drink  of  the  gall  and  the 
wormwood,  he  is  like  the  wild  bull  taken  in  a  net.  (Is.  5 1. 
20.)  When  they  are  scorched  with  affliction,  they  blaspheme 
the  name  of  God  and  refuse  to  give  him  glory.  (Rev.  16. 
8.  11.)  Saul  was  an  instance  of  this:  while  he  was  in 
prosperity  he  sought  to  the  Lord  and  his  prophet  Samuel; 
but  when  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom  went  contrary  to  him, 
he  forsook  the  Lord  and  acted  like  a  perfidious  madman, 
and  sought  to  the  witch  of  Endor. 

Others  again  are  more  religious  in  times  of  affliction, 
than  they  are  in  times  of  prosperity.  When  the  hand  of 
God  is  against  them  they  repent  and  turn  to  God  with 
professions  of  love  and  obedience,  like  Israel  frequently 
did;  (Psa.  106.)  but  when  they  are  in  prosperity  they 
forsake  the  God  of  their  mercies.  So  Jeshuron  waxed  fat 
and  kicked,  forsook  God,  and  lightly  esteemed  the  rock  of 
his  salvation.  (Deut.  32.  15.)  But  he  who  loves  God  for 
his  holiness,  although  he  has  often  to  struggle  with 
temptations  and  the  corruptions  of  a  weak  imperfect 
heart,  yet  he  loves  God;  ^and  less  or  more  discovers  his 
holiness  in  all  his  ways  and  in  all  his  works;  and  it  pro- 
portionally attracts  his  heart  towards  him,  like  David,  as 
his  exceeding  joy. 

He  who  loves  God,  loves  him  because  he  isjovely.  Holi- 
ness is  the  loveliness  of  God;  for  holiness  makes  him 


583 

Ibvely.  Holiness  is  lovely  and  excellent  in  itself;  God  is 
excellent  in  his  holiness.  \Vc  do  not  love  God  as  a  being 
possessingexistence;  forthat  wouldonly  be  a  matter  of  mere 
speculation.  An  angel,  a  man,  a  tract  of  land,  or  a  devil, 
has  an  existence  as  well  as  God,  although  dependent  on 
him.  We  hate  a  devil,  although  he  exists,  because  he  is 
imholy.  We  are  pleased  with  a  tract  of  land,  not  because  it 
is  land,  but  because  it  is  good  land.  We  love  or  hate  a  man 
because  he  is  either  a  holy  or  an  unholy  man.  We  love 
an  angel  because  he  is  holy;  and  \vc  love  God  above  all 
things  because  he  is  possessed  of  infinite  holiness. 

A  wicked  man  hates  God  above  all  things,  for  the  very 
same  reason,  viz.  because  he  is  possessed  of  holiness;  he 
himself  hating  holiness  and  loving  sin.  He  who  loves  God 
earnestly  desires  to  wear  his  image,  to  be  conformed  to 
his  likeness,  and  to  walk  worthy  of  him,  and  to  do  those 
things  which  are  \\ell  pleasing  in  his  sight;  and  is  sorry 
for  and  sensible  of  his  shortcoming.  Hence  it  is  that  love  to 
God  is  said  to  be  holiness.  This  definition  of  holiness  is 
very  good,  although  it  is  not  logical.  God  is  so  perfectly 
holy,  that  it  is  proper  to  hold  him  up  as  the  only  com- 
plete, perfect  standard  of  holiness.  And  to  love  him  is 
worthy  to  be  figuratively  called  holiness,  although  it  is 
only  an  evidence  of  it;  because  it  is  for  his  holiness'  sake 
that  we  do  love  him.  Love  to  holiness,  or  the  inclination 
of  our  hearts  to  that  which  is  right,  is  our  holiness;  and 
our  love  to  God  is  the  evidence  of  it;  because  God  is  holy 
and  is  the  proper  object  of  truly  holy  afteetions. 

2.  To  love  the  bible,  the  law,  the  gospel,  the  ordinan- 
ces and  the  people  of  God  are  all  evidences  of  holiness. 
The  bible  is  a  holy  book;  because  its  rules,  laws,  plans, 
proposals  and  promises  are  all  right.  To  delight  in  the 
bible  for  this  reason,  is  an  evidence  of  a  holy  disposition 
in  our  hearts.  The  moral  law,  whether  summarily  com- 
l)rehended  in  the  decalogue,  or  interspersed  among  the 
sacred  pages,  enjoins  that  which  is  right,  and  forbids  that 


584 

which  is  wrong.  To  delight  in  the  law  of  God  is  there- 
fore an  evidence  of  holiness.  The  whole  plan  of  the 
gospel  is  founded  on  justice  in  the  exhibitions  of  mercy; 
and  the  design  of  it  is  to  bring  sinners  back  to  holiness. 
To  love  the  plan  of  the  gospel  from  this  view  of  it,  is  a 
sign  of  holiness.  To  love,  or  acquiesce  in  the  gospel 
plan,  as  it  proposes  salvation  to  a  man's  own  soul,  is 
faith;  but  to  love  it  as  it  both  enjoins  and  insures  holi- 
ness to  a  sinner,  through  a  delight  in  holiness,  is  a  sign 
of  holiness.  The  ordinances  of  the  gospel  tend  to  further 
us  in  holiness,  and  are  means  of  enjoying  holy  commu- 
nion with  God.  To  delight  in  these  ordinances  is  there- 
fore an  evidence  of  holiness.  God's  people  are  in  their 
degree  holy,  and  show  it  in  their  life  and  conversation. 
To  love  them  therefore  for  this,  is  an  infallible  evidence 
of  holiness. 

Were  I  to  ask  the  reason  why  a  child  of  God  is  not 
assured  of  his  salvation  when  he  daily  feels  this  last 
evidence  in  his  very  heart  every  day  he  lives,  the  answer 
must  be,  because  he  cannot  be  satisfied  without  he  knows 
he  is  a  believer;  which  is  the  only  condition  of  salvation; 
and  this  he  cannot  be  satisfied  in,  unless  he  is  conscious 
in  his  heart,  that  he  does  actually  believe.  This  is  the 
most  conclusive,  experimental  testimony  of  the  truth  of 
this  doctrine,  of  any  in  all  the  round  of  christian  expe- 
rience. I  lived  twelve  years  under  general  doubts  and 
fears;  and  from  the  first,  or  as  near  the  first  as  I  took 
notice,  I  never  was  a  day  in  which  I  had  a  doubt  of  a 
cordial  love  to  God's  people.  Since  I  have  been  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel,  I  have  had  every  chance  of  acquaintance 
with  serious  people,  in  all  the  different  states  of  their 
exercises;  having  been  blessed  with  success  in  the  gospel 
through  the  greater  part  of  my  ministry  hitherto;  and  I 
never  remember  that  I  have  found  an  individual  but 
would  acknowledge  immediately  that  he. loved  God's 
people.  And  there  is  no  hesitation  as  to  the  truth  of  what 


585 

Qur  Saviour  says  on  this  subject:  "  By  this  shall  all  men 
*'  know  thut  yc  are  my  discij)lcs,  if  \  c  have  love  one  to 
**  another."  And  also  the  apostle  John  says,  "we  know 
"that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  i>ccausc  wc 
"  love  the  brethren;  and  he  that  loveth  his  brother  abideth 
*'  in  the  light.  If  we  love  one  another,  God  dwelleth  in 
"  us,  and  his  love  is  perfected  in  us." 

Nowhere  is  scripture  andexperience  tallying  together, 
and  both  acknowledged  true.  Yet  all  will  not  do.  The 
syllogism  is  plain,  easy  and  undcnial^le;  but  the  conclu- 
sion is  never  drawn  until  the  direct  testimony  of  faith 
itself,  in  its  own  exercise,  draws  it.  The  bible,  which  is 
infallible,  testifies  that  if  I  love  God's  people,  I  am  inter- 
ested in  Christ,  am  born  again,  and  possess  true  religion. 
I  do  love  God's  people;  I  feel  it  in  my  heart.  Their  reli- 
gious conversation  delights  me.  I  have  the  idea  that  they 
belong  to  Christ,  that  his  Spirit  is  in  them,  and  that  they 
are  comformed  in  their  degree  to  his  image.  I  love  their 
company;  I  love  to  look  at  them,  I  love  to  think  of  them, 
I  wish  I  was  as  good  as  them,  &c.  and  when  I  hear 
of  a  sinner  brought  from  sin  to  the  paths  of  religion,  let 
him  have  been  ever  so  wicked  before,  and  let  me  hate  him 
ever  so  much,  even  although  I  hated  his  very  looks  and 
ways,  and  every  thing  about  him  as  a  sinner  before,  the 
moment  I  either  see  it,  or  hear  of  it,  my  heart  is  going 
towards  him  with  sensible  feelings  of  affection  and  good 
will.  Now  comes  the  conclusion.  Therefore,  I  am  a  dis- 
ciple of  Christ,  passed  from  death  unto  life,  dwelling  in 
the  light;  and  God  and  his  love  dwell  in  mc.  But  all 
falls  through;  the  conclusion  is  kept  back,  in  spite  of  ail 
our  good  sense,  our  confidence  in  the  truth  of  the  bible, 
and  the  conscious  testimony  of  our  own  hearts.  Why? 
The  doubting  christian  cannot  tell,  for  he  is  sure  of  both 
the  j)arts  of  the  syllogism;  but  somehow,  he  cannot  draw  a 
conclusion,  which  he  can  hardly  help  drawing:  Let  him 
go  on  mere  theory,  and  jiC  can  draw  it  in  a  moment;  but 

4  r: 


586 

in  his  own  case  it  is  impossible.  I  ask  again,  why?  Cer« 
tainly  just  for  the  want  of  the  direct  evidence  of  the  con- 
sciousness of  believing;  give  him  this,  and  he  can,  and 
will,  and  must  conclude  his  syllogism. 

3.  To  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness  is  an 
evidence  of  holiness.  This  is  an  exercise  of  holiness, 
more  properly  speaking;  for  it  is  an  inclination  of  the 
heart  toward  that  which  is  right.  Christians  feel  this  evi- 
dence more,  and  less,  at  different  times;  sometimes  indeed, 
it  is  very  low,  and  scarcely  discernible;  at  other  times  it 
rises  higher  and  higher;  and  sometimes  it  rises  even  to 
panting,  like  the  hunted  hart  for  the  water  brooks.  And 
the  christian  through  his  weakness,  sometimes  indulges 
a  fretful  temper,  and  either  chides  the  delay  of  the  divine 
influences  of  grace,  and  implicitly  blames  his  Redeemer, 
in  pretending  to  blame  himself,  or  concludes  he  has  no 
religion  because  he  does  not  get  all  he  wants. 

4.  To  hate  and  loathe  one's  own  heart  and  ways,  and  to 
feel  an  abhorrence  of  those  things  which  lead  to  sin,  to 
wish  to  be  delivered  from  inward  corruption,  and  to  be 
eonsciencious  in  endeavouring  to  perform  all  the  duties  of 
religion,  and  to  guard  our  lives  from  those  things  which 
are  contrary  to  the  will  of  God  or  dishonouring  to  the 
gospel,  are  all  evidences  of  holiness.  I  grant  the  strictest 
attention  to  duty,  and  the  most  unspotted  external  mo- 
rality of  itself,  is  no  sign  of  holiness;  yet  a  regular  life 
proceeding  from  a  holy  disposition  of  heart  is  an  evi- 
dence of  holiness,  and  always  will,  in  a  suitable  degree, 
be  a  consequence  of  sanctification. 

If  a  christian  has  been  a  moral  man  before  he  believed, 
he  will  only  feel  a  change  in  the  temper  of  his  mind,  and 
in  the  spirit  from  which  he  will  perform  the  duties  of  re- 
ligion. But  if  he  was  wicked  in  his  former  conduct,  he 
will  experience  a  change  both  in  heart  and  life.  At  any 
rate,  the  believer  or  the  holy  man  will  stru'ggle  through 
his  weaknesses  and  shortcomings,  and  uniformly  love 
religion;  and  will  endeavour  to  live  soberly,  righteously, 


587 

and  godly  in  this  world;  he  will  study  to  maintain  j^ood 
works;  and  he  will  do  it  from  a  sense  of  duty  and  a  real 
taste  for  holiness. 

I  mis^ht  mention  many  other  particulars  as  evidences 
of  a  gracious  state;  but  1  have  placed  before  my  reader 
what  I  coiTccive  to  be  tlic  most  important,  and  those 
which  are  most  usually  inquired  into.  I  have  attempted 
also  to  arrange  them  in  their  natural  order,  in  which  it 
will  be  most  likely  to  find  them,  and  most  convincing 
when  they  are  found. 

Here,  in  the  last  place,  I  will  insert  what  I  have  before 
observed;  that  although  you  may  inquire  after  all  these 
evidences,  one  by  one,  either  A\hen  you  read  them  over 
or  when  they  are  laid  before  you  from  the  pul])it,  or 
brought  forward  in  your  examinations  by  your  own  re- 
collection or  judgment,  yet  you  would  do  uell,  not  to' 
expect  to  find  yourself  in  the  exercise  of  them  all  at  once; 
for  perhaps  you  may  find  that  you  often  experience  the 
want  of  some  of  them;  and  be  sure  you  inquire  as  to 
your  consciousness  of  believing,  the  very  first  thing  you 
do.  If  you  succeed  in  this,  you  may  go  on  to  the  others; 
only  take  care  you  do  not  overload  yourself  with  eviden- 
ces; one  or  two,  or  three  good  ones,  is  enough  for  once. 
But  if  you  cannot  ascertain  that  you  are  a  believer,  by 
the  direct  exercise  of  your  faith  on  Christ,  you  may  stop 
short;  for  you  will  labour  in  vain,  in  search  of  holiness, 
till  you  get  that.  For  the  want  of  this  hint,  many  a  se- 
rious person  goes  drooping  to  the  grave.  And  if  you 
find  you  are  deficient  in  the  positive  surrender  of  your 
heart  to  Christ  on  the  free  offer  of  the  gospel,  your  duty- 
is  to  go  forthwith  and  give  your  heart  unto  him,  just  as 
it  is;  and  put  your  trust  in  him;  and  if  you  cannot  do  it 
the  first  trial,  try  again;  if  }ou  fail  again,  be  not  discou- 
raged; for  Christ  is  waiting  for  \  ou,  with  his  heart  full 
of  pity,  and  his  hands  full  of  blessings;  try  a  third  time, 
and  a  fourth;  and  never  giv  e  up  trying,  nor  do  one  thing 


588 

else  until  that  matter  is  settled;  and  then,  and  never  till 
then,  are  you  fit  to  examine  for  a  sis.gle  evidence  of  ho- 
liness. But  when  you  are  conscious  of  doing  this,  then 
you  may  feel  for  Christ  in  your  heart;  and  you  need  not 
fear,  but  before  long  you  will  discover  some  proof  of  his 
being  in  you  the  hope  of  glory. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Perseverance. 

Final  perseverance  in  grace  is  another  consequence 
of  an  interest  in  Christ.  This  is  a  most  interesting  and  a 
most  comfortable  doctrine.  I  know  not  how  a  poor,  weak, 
fallible  creature  could  enjoy  any  satisfaction  in  this  world, 
were  it  not  for  the  hope  and  confidence  of  being  kept  by 
the  power  of  God  through  faith  luito  salvation;  and  with 
this  confidence  any  christian  might  rejoice  with  joy  un- 
speakable and  full  of  glory. 

I  have  several  times  hinted  at  this  doctrine  already  in 
the  course  of  this  treatise;  and  I  have  of  necessity  esta- 
blished the  principles-  on  which  it  rests,  in  my  treatise  on 
election,  and  several  parts  of  the  covenants.  It  comes  in 
course  now  to  take  a  short  view  of  it  that  we  may  be 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  it,  understand  it,  a^d  derive 
the  advantage  from  it  which  it  is  calculated  to  give;  and 
we  shall  endeavour  to  be  as  concise  as  possible. 

1.  The  doctrine  of  perseverance  is  established  on  the 
doctrine  of  election.  If  the  bible  proves  the  glorious  pur- 
pose and  plan  of  election  to  be  the  conformity  of  God's 
people  to  the  image  of  his  Son,  and  in  order  to  this,  their 
effectual  calling,  justification  and  final  glory  as  we  see  in 
Rom.  8.  29,  30.  the  final  salvation  of  tiie  saints  is  infal- 
lible. When  the  bible  proves  that  ti.ey  are  .chosen  in 
Christ,  that  they  should  be  holy  and  without  blame  be- 


589 

fore  him  in  love,  as  we  sec  in  Epli.  1.  4.  and  that  they 
are  saved  and  called  with  an  holy  calling  according  to 
his  own  purpose,  and  grace  which  was  given  in  Christ 
before  the  world  began,  as  we  find  in  2  Tim.  1.  9.  when 
God  hath  from  the  beginning  chosen  to  salvation  through 
sanctification  of  the  Sjiirit  and  belief  of  the  truth  as  we 
see  in  2  Thes.  2.  13.  we  never  can  hesitate  as  to  the  per- 
severance of  the  saints. 

These  scriptures,  with  many  others,  we  have  already 
considered  in  our  treatise  on  election;  and  it  is  enough 
just  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to  them  here  as  infallible 
proofs  that  those  who  are  in  Christ  will  infallibly  perse- 
A  ere  in  grace  to  the  end. 

2.  This  comfortable  doctrine  is  confirmed  by  the  death 
of  Christ.  Christ  died,  not  merely  to  give  a  chance  of 
salvation  to  his  people,  but  to  redeem  them  from  all  ini- 
quity, and  to  purify  to  himself  a  peculiar  people  zealous 
of  good  works.  Tit.  2.  14.  Christ  died  for  his  sheep; 
and  his  Father  loved  him  for  giving  his  life  for  them. 
John  10.  1.'.  17.  It  is  evident  that  his  life  was  given  for 
every  one  whose  sins  are  pardoned;  and  if  any  of  them 
should  finalh  fall  away,  his  death  would,  as-to  them,  be 
in  vain;  and  it  is  unreasonable,  as  well  as  unscriptural 
to  think  that  such  an  infinite  ransom  should  be  applied 
in  vain  in  any  instance  whatsoever.  He  must  see  the 
travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied.  Christ  as  the  media- 
tor is  made  to  his  people  wisdom,  righteousness,  sancti- 
fication, and  redemption;  and  if  so,  then  their  salvation 
is  infallible  in  every  part  of  it.  If  they,  or  any  of  them 
fail  in  sanctification,  then  Christ  is  not  their  sanctification, 
or  he  is  not  in  such  instances  a  sufficient  sanctification. 
The  death  of  Christ  is  the  hope,  confidence  and  glory  of 
his  people;  but  if  it  fails,  it  is  unworthy  of  confidence; 
and  no  reasonable  man  could  glory  in  it.  The  death  of 
Christ  was  a  price  paid  for  the  salvation  of  his  people: 
2  Cor.  6.  20.  1  Pet.  1.  18,  19.  If  any  of  them  be  lost. 


590 

he  must  be  an  infinite  loser,  having  lost  the  value  of  his 
precious  blood;  and  divme  justice  which  was  satisfied 
resumes  its  claim  on  the  sinner,  after  it  had  received  the 
full  ransom,  which  would  be  unjust.  The  death  of  Christ 
atoned  for  every  sin  which  the  ransomed  sinner  ever 
would  commit.  Tit.  2.  14.  1  Pet.  2.  24.  Rom.  8.  33,  34. 
Nothing  therefore  but  the  insufficiency  of  his  death  can 
possibly  be  the  cause  of  a  sinner's  condemnation  when  he 
is  once  interested  in  it.  The  death  of  Christ  purchased 
every  necessary  influence  of  the  Spirit  for  the  sanctifica- 
tion  of  his  people.  If  therefore  his  people  are  not  com- 
pletely sanctified,  the  purchase  was  not  sufficient  and 
failed  for  want  of  sufficient  efficacy.  John  7.  38,  39.  and 
4.  14.  The  suretiship  of  Christ  is  founded  on  his  death. 
The  intercession  of  Christ  is  also  founded  on  his  death. 
Heb.  7.  22.  and  9.  15—17.  and  7.  25.  and  10.  12.  If  any 
finally  perish  for  whom  Christ  is  a  surety  and  intercedes, 
his  intercession  must  fail;  his  suretiship  must  fail;  and 
the  merit  of  his  death  must  fail.  But  these  things  are 
impossible;  consequently  it  is  impossible  for  a  saint  to 
fall  firially  from  grace. 

3.  The  perseverance  of  the  saints  rests  upon  the  faith- 
ful engagements  of  Christ  to  his  Father  for  his  people. 
Those  engagements  are  evident  from  those  places  where 
Christ  shows  his  willingness  to  engage  in  the  work  of  his 
Father:  "  Lo,  I  come;  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  God." 
This  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  &c.  John  6.  38,  39, 
40.  and  10.  18.  27,  28,  29.  If  therefore  Christ  is  faithful 
to  his  engagements  none  of  his  people  can  ever  finally 
fall  away  and  be  lost  at  last. 

4.  This  comfortable  doctrine  is  farther  established  by 
the  promises  of  the  gospel  made  to  believers:  "  He  that 
"  believeth  shall  be  saved."  If  belie^'ers  fall  away  then,  he 
that  believeth  may  be  damned;  which  is  impossible  as 
long  as  Christ  is  true,  and  able  to  fulfil  his  word.  They 


591 

shall  never  perish;  I  will  raise  them  up  at  the  last  day. 
They  sliall  never  come  into  condemnation;  I  will  never 
leave  you  nor  forsake  you,  &c.  &.c.  How  many,  how  true 
and  faithful,  how  unchangeable  and  how  powerful  arc 
these  promises.  But  all  is  vain  and  false  if  one  christian 
finally  falls  away. 

5.  The  truth  of  this  doctrine  is  farther  established  b_v 
the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit  as  a  seal,  and  an  earnest  of 
the  inheritance.  Eph.  1.  13,  14.  The  seal  is  God's  im- 
age, which  is  holiness  instampcd  by  sanctification;  and 
this  same  holiness  is  the  earnest,  or  so  much  in  hand,  to 
confirm  the  covenant,  or  give  a  proof  of  its  validity,  or  a 
sure  pledge  that  they  shall  in  due  time  receive  the  whole. 
Now  if  one  believer  fails,  (for  every  believer  receives 
this  seal  and  earnest  after  he  believes,  verse  13.)  of  the 
purchased  possession,  the  seal  is  broken,  the  earnest  is 
false,  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit  is  vain  and  delusive.  But 
who  can  venture  to  assert  these  things?  But  they  must 
do  it,  if  they  assert  that  a  believer  finally^falls  from  grace. 

6.  This  doctrine  is  confirmed  by  the  oath  of  God.  Heb. 
6.  16 — 20.  And  is  it  possible  that  we  cannot  believe  it 
still?  If  one  who  has  fled  for  refuge  to  Christ  finally  falls 
away,  his  strong  consolation  is  blasted,  and  the  Deity  is 
perjured,  and  the  two  immutable  things,  the  promise  and 
oath  of  God,  have  changed;  all  which  is  impossible. 
Therefore  the  believer  never  can  finally  fall  away.  For 
he  is  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  iinto  sal- 
vation, to  an  inheritance  uncorrupted  and  which  fadeth 
not  away.* 

*  It  is  objected  to  this  doctrine,  although  it  is  so  well  established 
by  the  gospel,  and  although  the  salvation  of  every  soul  depends  on 
the  truth  of  it,  and  although  it  is  such  a  comfortable  doctrine,  that 
we  may  say  that  the  comfort  of  a  christian  depends  entirely  on  it; 
that  it  promotes  sloth  and  sin,  and  retards  our  progress  in  iioliness, 
Sec.  Those  objectors  miglit  as  well,  and  with  .i  far  honcster  face,  say 
that  the   sinner  is  not  left  enough  to  do;   that  his  salvation  is  too 


592 

This  doctrine  is  the  life  of  a  christian  in  the  midst  of 
trials  and  temptations,  and  even  in  his  most  happy  circum- 

much  by  grace  and  too  little  by  works;  and  that  Christ  in  his  truth 
will  not  be  as  faithful  to  work  grace  in  a  believei-'s  heait  for  his  own 
glory,  as  the  believer  would  be  for  his  own  happiness.  This  is  the 
true  meaning  of  the  objection;  and  if  it  was  the  true  plan  of  salvation, 
God  have  mercy  on  us  all !  A  pretty  hand  the  sinner  would  make. 

This  doctrine,  instead  of  having  such  a  baleful  tenclency,  is  truly 
enough  to  inspire  our  hearts  with  every  thing  good,  great  and  glori- 
ous. He  must  be  dead  to  every  feeling  of  gratitude  indeed  who  ould 
argue  himself  into  stupid  inactivity  because  he  has  a  faithful  friend 
so  great  and  good  that  he  has  a  right  to  his  whole  heart.  Who  can 
take  a  view  of  Christ  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  pleading  hisown  death 
and  sufferings  in  his  behalf  without  feeling  him  a  friend  who  sticketh 
closer  than  a  brother?  How  unnatural  it  must  be  to  feel  a  heart  inat- 
tentive to  the  best  honour  and  dignity  of  such  a  friend  as  Jesus,  who 
takes  the  whole  charge  of  our  salvation. 

Hope  is  the  greatest  stimulus  to  activity  that  can  possibly  possess 
the  human  mind.  There  is  no  danger  of  a  man  becoming  dull  and 
sluggish  and  stupid  who  is  influenced  by  a  solid  hope  of  obtaining  a 
most  glorious  prize.  Such  a  hope  as  this,  says  the  apostle,  inspires 
the  sons  of  God  to  purify  themselves  even  as  Christ  is  pure;  and  no- 
thing in  all  the  bible  is  better  calculated  to  give  the  believer  such  a 
hope,  than  the  doctrine  of  the  infallible  perseverance  of  the  saints. 

It  is  evident  that  the  salvation  of  a  sinner  is  in  consequence  of  God's 
purpose,  Christ's  death,  suretiship,  intercession  and  the  inward  \vork 
of  the  holy  Spirit  according  to  Christ's  engagements  to  his  Father 
and  his  promise  to  believers;  how  then  can  it  be  the  cause  of  sin, 
when  it  is  the  only  thing  that  delivers  us  from  il?  Does  not  the  Spi- 
rit of  Christ  abide  in  the  hearts  of  believers  to  sanctify  them  and  to 
lead  them  into  all  truth?  Then  how  can  it  retard  sanctification  for  this 
work  assuredly  to  go  on  in  our  hearts? 

I  have  sometimes  wondered  if  the  class-leaders,  preachers,  elders 
and  bishops,  among  our  brethren  the  methodists  ever  think  of  Christ's 
intercession,  his  promises  to  believers,  the  prevalence  of  his  nlonc- 
ment,  &c.  as  the  grounds  of  the  believer's  hope.  If  they  do,  what  can 
they  infer  from  these  things?  Certainly  when  they  think  of  falling 
away,  they  must  find  some  difficulty  to  reconcile  their  sentiments 
with  those  scripture  doctrines.  How  do  they  come  boldly  to  the  u'li  one 
of  grace,  because  they  have  a  great  high  priest  \vho  is  passed  into 
the  heavens?  Can  they  draw  near  to  God  with  full  assurance  of  faith? 
fan  they  have  strong  consolation  because  of  the  promise  and  oath  of 


593 

stances  he  would  have  short  and  unsatisfactory  consola- 
tion without  this  support.   When  a  christian  confines  his 

God  who  cunnot  lie,  and  yet  believe  they  may  fall  away  at  the  same 
lime?  How  inconsistent  are  these  thinj^s? 

"When  a  believer  for  whom  Christ  has  died  as  a  surety,  to  whom 
he  has  given  his  word  for  his  salvation,  and  for  whom  he  pleads  his 
own  blood,  falls  away,  is  it  because  Christ  ceases  to  plead  for  him? 
or  is  it  because  of  the  invalidity  of  his  plea?  or  is  it  because  the  man 
has  got  so  wicked  in  spite  of  all  the  power  of  Christ's  intercessioa 
and  Spirit,  that  he  is  given  up  as  insalvable?  And  does  the  Father 
love  his  Son  to  lose  a  sheep,  when  he  had  intrusted  the  salvation  of 
his  soul  to  him?  And  when  Christ  gives  him  up,  does  all  his  former 
sins  which  had  been  forgiven  return  upon  him  again?  If  so,  is  he 
punished  for  those  sins,  after  Christ  had  suflered  once  for  them  al- 
ready? Would  it  be  just  in  God  to  do  so?  Every  one  grants  that  sins 
arc  pardoned  through  the  atonement  of  Christ.  But  when  a  pardoned 
believer  falls  away,  and  his  sins  return  on  him  again,  what  becomes 
of  the  atonement  of  Christ  which  was  imputed  to  him?  In  this  case  it 
must  become  null  and  void.  The  blood  of  atonement  which  was 
sprinkled  upon  him,  must  be  taken  off;  or  does  he.  go  to  hell  with 
the  blood  of  Christ  upon  him,  and  with  his  sins  half  pardoned?  This 
would  be  awful  indeed.  When  the  blood  of  Christ  is  imputed,  it  is 
complete,  and  covers  all  sin.  But  the  doctrine  of  falling  from  grace 
thwarts  the  whole  system  of  the  atonement  of  the  cross,  and  makes 
our  pardon  depend  on  ourselves,  and  not  on  Christ 

I  have  often  wondered  if  the  sensible  methodists  ever  weighed  their 
sentiments;  and  if  ihcy  do,  whether  they  are  not  sometimes  struck 
with  a  sense  of  the  absurdities  of  their  plan.  Or  do  they  just  content 
themselves  with  taking  things  for  granted,  without  ever  looking  at 
them?  Their  whole  sclicme  is  bottomed  on  downright  legality.  I 
know  they  talk  of  free  grace,  and  pretend  to  preach  it  too.  But  free 
grace  is  more  than  merely  the  word  free  and  the  word  grace,  put  to- 
gether to  make  two  sylaljles.  In  the  salvation  of  a  sinner  it  means 
something:  and  something  too  that  the  methodists  always  deny,  al- 
though they  frequently  use  the  phrase,  and  professedly  hold  to  the 
doctrine. 

Is  their  denying  tlie  doctrine  of  election  any  thing  like  free  grace? 
It  saps  the  very  founddiion  of  it.  No  man  can  deny  this  doctrine, 
without  either  denying  salvation  altogether,  or  holdhig  to  salvation 
"without  any  purpose  in  God  to  save;  and  consequently  the  purpose 
must  originate  in  the  sinner.  The  sinner  must  take  a  notion  to  be 
saved,  before  God  will  take  a  notion  to  save  him.  Is  this  free  grace? 

4  F 


594 

vievvb  to  his  present  circumstances,  he  may  indeed  be  the 
happy  subject  of  a  very  comfortable  frame;  but  when  he 

Does  their  notion  of  falling  away  from  grace  look  like  free  grace? 
Does  it  not  depend  on  the  sinner  whether  his  salvation  will  be  com- 
plete or  <iot?  ^Vllen  they  tell  us  how  the  believer  stands,  we  find  it 
to  be  on  these  principles:  "  If  they  improve  if  they  do  not  turn  to 
"  sin,  if  they  continue  loving  and  serving  God,  if  they  do  not  elope 
"  from  the  fold  of  Christ;"  just  as  if  it  required  no  grace  to  dispose 
a  man  to  improve,  to  continue,  Sec.  Now  is  this  free  grace?  Is  it  not 
merely  self-righteousness?  and  does  it  not  evidently  make  the  salva- 
tion of  a  sinner  depend  totally  upon  himself? 

When  they  speak  of  Christ's  faithfulness  in  his  promises,  what  a 
miserable  jumble  of  ideas  they  have?  "  If  you  will  not  leave  Christ, 
*'  he  will  not  leave  you.  If  you  continue  faithful,  he  will  continue 
"  faithful  to  you.  If  you  go  on  to  love  him  and  serve  him,  he  will 
"  fulfil  all  his  promises  to  you.  But  if  you  forsake  him,  he  will  for- 
"  sake  you.  If  you  will  not  go  on  to  love  and  serve  him,  he  will  let 
*'■  you  perish,  &c."  These  are  a  kind  of  promises,  and  this  is  a  kind  of 
faithfulness  that  are  no  more  like  the  gospel  than  midnight  is  like 
the  noon  day.  Does  it  require  any  thing  more  than  common  mother 
wit,  to  see  what  sort  of  a  thing  a  promise  is  which  is  suspended  on 
the  works  of  the  law  which  the  sinner  himself  has  to  perform?  Is  it 
free  grace?  Is  it  yea  and  amen  in  Christ?  Are  not  works  the  veiy  foun- 
dation of  it  all?  And  when  a  sinner  trusts  to  them,  has  he  not  first  to 
trust  to  his  own  faithfulness  before  he  can  trust  to  the  faithfulness  of 
Christ?  And  who  gets  the  praise?  Truly  the  sinner  and  Christ  very 
jiiutually  divide  the  spoil  betwixt  them;  only  the  sinner  must  have 
the  first  draw.  Yet  all  this  is  free  grace ! 

The  plain  sense  of  all  this  is.  If  I  take  a  notion  to  be  saved,  Christ 
will  take  a  notion  to  save  me.  If  I  continue  in  that  notion,  Christ  will 
continue  in  his.  If  I  keep  Christ,  he  will  keep  me.  If  I  keep  the  road 
to  heaven,  he  will  take  me  there.  If  I  will  be  good,  he  will  make  me 
good;  but  if  I  change  my  mind,  he  will  change  his;  and  the  devil  may 
make  his  best  of  nic  for  what  he  cares.    Is  this  free  grace? 

On  these  principles  every  thing  depends  on  myself:  The  pardon 
of  my  sin  depends  on  myself.  My  sanctification  depends  on  myself. 
My  perseverance  in  grace  depends  on  myself.  The  faithfulness  of 
Christ  in  fulfilling  his  promises  depends  on  myself.  And  in  short 
everything  in  the  whole  gospel  plan  depends  on  myself.  And  yet  all 
is  free  grace!  and  the  whole  of  it  mere  legality  from  first  to  last.  The 
death  of  Christ,  the  glorious  intercession  of  Christ,  tjie  suretiship 
«f  Christ,  his  engagements  to  his  Father,  the  Father's  engagements 


595 

looks  forward  and  feels  no  support  for  futurity,  but  his 
own  resolutions,  which  have  been  broken  throui^h  a  thou- 
band  times  already,  he  is  oblitj;ed  to  feel  a  damp  on  his 
spirits  and  to  say  like  David  in  a  desponding  fit:  "  1  shall 
one  day  fail  by  the  hand  of  Saul. "  But  when  he  can  feel  his 
faith  strong  in  the  support  promised,  on  the  solid  footing 
of  the  gospel  for  perseverance  to  the  end,  his  heart  is 
stayed  upon  the  Lord,  and  ht  can  smile,  and  give  glory 
to  God,  even  when  Satan  rages,  and  a  corrupt  heart  is 
ready  to  fail.  Thus  when  he  is  weak,  he  is  strong  and 
hopes  against  hope,  conscious  of  his  having  committed  his 
care  to  God,  and  the  keeping  of  his  soul,  as  unto  a  faith- 
ful Creator,  he  waits  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  engagements 
of  the  gospel,  which  assures  him,  he  shall  not  be  ashamed, 
and  that  he  shall  never  finally  fill  away.  It  is  true  he 
may  say  with  David  that  the  sons  of  Zeruiahare  too  hard 

lo  him,  tlic  promises  of  Christ  to  believers,  the  actual  and  per- 
sonal imputation  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ  to  the  soul,  the  Spi- 
rit as  a  seal  and  an  earnest  of  heaven,  and  even  the  very  oath  of 
Christ,  must  all  yield  to  my  pleasure;  and  must  be,  and  do,  just 
according  as  I  do. 

Truly  the  devil  would  rejoice  with  a  hellish  pleasure,  if  this  -was 
the  free  grace  of  the  gospel;  for  he  would  be  sure  of  every  soul,  and 
could  easily  defeat  the  whole  gospel  plan. 

Notwithstanding  all  their  notions  of  falling  away,  yet  they  hold  to 
perfection;  a  pretty  perfection  indeed!  And  fall  from  grace  too!  Truly 
a  methodist  grown  perfect  in  holiness,  by  his  own  industry,  as  a  con- 
dition of  his  whole  salvation,  will  indeed  merit  the  glory  of,  well  done 
good  and  faithful  servant. 

But  a  good  methodist's  heart  is  nothing  like  his  head.  His  heart  is 
as  sound  a  predestinarian,  as  my  head  is.  His  genuine  exercises  in 
religion  arc,  I  grant,  on  the  princijjles  of  free  grace;  for  here  he  is 
taught  of  God,  and  not  by  a  methodist  preacher.  It  is  well  for  him  that 
his  head  and  brains  will  die,  and  rot  with  his  rotten  notions;  and  at 
the  day  of  judgment  he  will  come  forth  according  to  the  eternal  pur- 
pose of  his  Saviour,  faithful  to  his  word,  and  all  his  engagements;  and 
ho  will  know,  and  acknowledge,  free  grace  as  it  rcidly  is;  and  he  will 
join  with  the  old  reverend  apostle  in  singing  '■^  Not  according  to  our 
•'  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  Scr." 


596 

ibr  him.  He  may  find  the  flesh  lusting  against  the  spirit  so 
that  he  cannot  do  the  things  that  he  vvould;  yet  the  king- 
dom is  estabhshed,  and  the  mercies  of  David  are  sure. 
Thus  David,  when  he  was  even  much  cast  down,  seems 
to  comfort  himself  by  this  very  doctrine:  "  Hope  thou  in 
"  God,  for  1  shall  yet  praise  him."  And  Job:  "  When  he 
"  hath  tried  me  I  shall  come  forth  like  gold." 

It  is  a  pleasing  thing  to  a  christian  under  proper  views, 
to  think  that  God  acts  for  his  own  glory,  and  that  he  does 
all  things  for  his  own  name's  sake,  and  it  is  not  difficult 
for  him  to  see  how  much  glory  God  will  get  (so  to  speak) 
by  bringing  through  such  a  poor,  imperfect  creature. 
This  thought  is  truly  noble  and  sublime,  but  when  we 
apprehend  that  any  thing  in  us,  or  done  by  us,  is  the 
motive  with  God  to  do  this  or  that  for  us,  we  have  low 
thoughts  of  God,  and  truly  unworthy  of  the  gospel.  When 
God  passed  his  word  to  Paul,  saying,  "  My  grace  shall 
be  sufficient  for  thee,"  he  immediately  began  to  glory  in 
his  infirmities,  and  even  to  take  pleasure  in  them,  that 
Christ  might  be  glorified  in  his  weakness.  Paul  show- 
ed more  true  greatness  in  this,  than  he  did  when  he  was 
exalted  to  the  third  heavens,  (2  Cor.  12.  9,  10.)  and  he 
acknowledges  it  too;  for  of  the  one  he  would  not  speak 
but  anonymously,  but  to  the  other  he  subscribes  his 
name  cheerfully,  (v.  5.) 

Take  away  this  doctrine  from  a  believer  when  he 
comes  to  grapple  with  death  and  what  has  he  to  support 
him?  The  christian  does  not  die  comfortably,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  own  perfection  and  worthiness,  but  by 
looking  to  Christ  the  author  and  finisher  of  his  faith.  He 
who  has  promised  final  perseverance  to  his  people  will 
not  desert  them  at  death.  No,  rather  let  me  say  he  will 
stand  on  the  banks  of  Jordan,  and  command  the  waters 
to  divide  and  give  a  comfortable  passage.  I  do  not  say 
that  every  believer  dies  confidently,  and  without  fear. 
But  this  I  will  say  confidently,  that  he  need  not  fear;  for 


597 

Christ  will  never  forsake  him.  We  may  lose  our  conli 
dence;  but  lie  will  not  fbrp^ct  his  covenant,  nor  suffer  his 
faithfulness  to  fail. 

All  promises  relate  to  futurity,  and  demand  our  confi- 
dence, according  to  the  veracity  of  the  promiser.  The 
blessings  promised  arc  the  object  of  our  hope,  which  is  the 
effect  of  our  confidence.  J^^very  promise  must  be  fulfilled; 
and  nothing  can  prevent  the  fulfilment  of  a  promise  but 
either  weakness  or  unfaithfulness.  God  is  neither  weak 
nor  unfaithful;  consequently  his  promises  will  inevitably 
be  fulfilled.  The  person  to  whom  the  promises  are  made 
ought  to  trust  to  them.  The  promises  are  made  to  be- 
lievers. The  promises  made  to  belicAcrs,  engage  every 
thing  necessary  to  their  salvation.  These  propositions 
are  too  plain  to  admit  of  dispute;  consequently  the  be- 
liever ought,  and  has  infallible  grounds  to  trust  in  God 
for  the  fulfilment  of  all  his  promises  in  due  time;  and  in 
doing  so,  he  must  hope  to  receive,  and  enjoy,  every 
thing  which  is  promised. 

He  must  of  course  hope  to  persevere  to  the  end.  But 
God  is  both  able  and  faithful;  therefore  his  perseverance 
is  inevitable  and  cannot  possibly  fail. 

In  order  to  be  correct  on  this  important  subject  I  beg 
my  reader  to  notice  the  following  table  of  short  senten- 
ces, in  two  columns,  the  one  correct,  the  other  incorrect. 

INCORRECT.  COUUKCT. 

1.  God  promises  salvation  to  a  1.  God  oficrs  sulvution  to  a  sin- 
sinner,  if  he  will  accept  of  it.  ner,  whether  he  accepts  of  it  oj 

not;  but  he  promises  nothing  to 
him. 

2.  God  promises  conditionally  2.  There  are  no  conditional  pro 
to  do  so  and  so,  or  to  do  this  or  niises.  That  which  has  a  condition 
that.  is  only  an  offer,  and  not  at  all  ob- 

|C7*  This  is  an  unpardonable  ligatory,  until  the  condition  is  ful- 

blunder.  filled. 

3.  God  will  fulfil  his  promises  3.  God  will  fulfil  his  promises 
to  you,  if  you  can  trust  him.  to  you  whether  you  can  trust  him 

or  not.    Your    weakness   cannot 
make  God  unfaithful.  Rom. 3.  3, 4. 


598 


INXORRECT. 

4.  God  will  be  faithful  to  you  if 
you  will  be  faithful  to  him. 


5.  If  I  were  sure  I  had  religion, 
I  could  believe  in  Christ  and  trust 
his  promises. 

6.  If  I  had  the  comfort  to  know 
that  I  was  a  believer,  I  could  trust 
confidently  to  the  promises  of 
God. 

7.  If  I  knew  that  God  had  be- 
gun a  good  work  in  me,  I  would 
believe  that  I  would  persevere  to 
the  end. 

'XT'  This  sentence  is  very  cor- 
rect; only  it  is  almost  always  mis- 
placed. 

8.  It  is  impossible  to  trust, 
without  evidences  to  trust  to.  We 
cannot  see  our  interest  in  Christ 
without  a  holy  heart. 


CORRECT. 

4.  God  will  be  faithful  for  ever. 
Your  faithfulness  is  not  the  cause 
of  God's  faithfulness;  but  his  faith- 
fulness is  the  cause  of  yours. 

5.  If  you  believe  in  Christ  he 
will  give  you  I'eligion  and  ful- 
fil his  promises  to  you  whether 
you  can  trust  him  or  not. 

6.  You  never  can  have  com- 
fon;  until  you  are  conscious  that 
you  do  believe,  and  do  actually 
trust  in  the  promises.  Comfort 
always  comes  by  trust. 

7.  If  you  come  just  as  you  are 
to  Christ,  he  will  certainly  begin 
his  good  work  in  you;  and  you 
will  have  a  gospel  ground  of  con- 
fidence in  his  promise  to  carry  it 
on  to  the  end. 

8.  It  is  impossible  to  have  evi- 
dences of  religion  without  faith; 
and  it  is  impossible  to  be  satisfied 
in  them,  until  you  are  conscious 
of  believing.  We  discover  our 
evidences  by  trusting  to  Christ, 
after  we  have  heartily  surrender- 
ed to  him. 


Those  who  enjoy  the  comfort  arising  from  the  doc- 
tiine  of  perseverance  enjoy  it  on  the  principles  contained 
in  the  correct  column.  But  those  who  enjoy  no  sensible 
benefit  from  that  comfortable  doctrine,  and  are  always 
doubting,  and  know  not  whether  they  will  finally  be 
saved  or  lost,  notwithstanding  all  they  have  experienced, 
proceed  upon  the  principles  contained  in  the  incorrect 
column.  If  they  could  only  be  persuaded  to  change 
sides,  they  would  soon  experience  a  happy  exchange, 
and  would  never  rue  their  bargain. 


599 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Death,  judgment^  and  eternal  glory. 

Victory  over  death,  acquittance  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, and  eternal  glory,  and  happiness  in  heaven,  are  all 
the  consequences  of  an  interest  in  Christ.  These  are 
among  the  most  grand  and  important  subjects  of  religion; 
and  afford  matter  for  sublime  thoughts  and  high  colour- 
ing and  declamation.  But  I  shall  just  say  a  few  things  on 
each  of  them,  leaving  the  rest  to  be  experienced,  when 
the  christian  comes  to  know,  as  he  is  known;  and  actually 
to  enjoy  what  we  can  only  have  in  prospect  in  this  im 
perfect  state. 

1.  There  is  nothing  more  opposed  to  our  natural  feel- 
ings than  death.  Death  is  called  the  king  of  terrors;  and 
indeed  it  may  justly  be  so  called  as  to  all  those  who  have 
not  an  interest  in  Christ.  It  is  painful  to  think  of  the 
death  of  an  unbeliever.  If  he  is  sensible  of  his  WTCtched 
circumstances  at  the  near  approach  of  his  dissolution,  he 
exhibits  a  spectacle  of  pity  and  horror.  If  he  is  not,  al- 
though spectators  are  eased  of  a  miserable  object  presen- 
ted before  them,  }et  the  real  state  of  the  unhappy  wretch 
is  not  altered  in  the  least  degree;  excepting  barely  a  few 
minutes'  longer  respite,  before  he  plunges  into  eternal 
ruin.  But  if  sinners  will  run  the  risk  of  dying  out  of 
Christ  when  they  have  the  free  offers  of  salvation,  we 
cannot  help  it.  Our  business,  at  present  is  with  believers; 
who  enjoy,  not  only  all  the  advantages  which  we  have 
already  mentioned  and  explained  in  this  book,  but  also 
at  the  close  of  life,  when  all  worldly  comforts  fail,  and 
none  can  help  but  God,  the  incomparable  advantages  of 
the  gospel  still  remain,  without  the  least  diminution, 


600 

Death  to  the  believer  is  the  greatest  blessing.  If  tlie 
believer  has  a  view  of  his  interest  in  Christ,  he  must  feel 
himself  at  the  end  of  his  race.  I  am  persuaded  that,  were 
it  not  for  the  bodily  pains,  and  perhaps  the  enervating 
sickness  of  the  body,  which  render  him  unable  through 
natural  debility,  the  comfortable  christian  would  die  re- 
joicing. How  pleasant  must  it  be  to  unbuckle  the  har- 
ness, and  shout  for  victory.  This  world  is  not  the  rest 
promised  to  the  people  of  God.  Canaan  lies  beyond  the 
grave.  It  would  be  impossible  to  enumerate  the  difficul- 
ties and  troubles  of  a  christian  here.  But  death  is  the 
close  of  all,  and  the  inlet  to  everlasting  peace  and  hap- 
piness, without  alloy. 

And  even  if  the  christian  should  die  uncomfortably, 
through  the  weakness  of  his  faith,  it  will  be  only  a  few 
hard  struggles  at  the  last,  before  all  is  over;  but  the  real 
state  in  which  he  dies  is  not  altered.  Christ  will  be  as 
faithful  to  an  uncomfortable  christian,  as  he  will  be  to  a 
comfortable  one.  Our  fears  and  suspicions,  which  we  in- 
dulge through  unbelief,  do  not  in  the  least  degree 
affect  God's  faithfulness  to  his  promises.  It  affects  our 
present  state  of  mind,  as  to  our  comfortable  prospects; 
but  Christ  will  never  let  a  christian  fall,  through  his 
weakness.  This  is  great  consolation  indeed.  If  I  am 
conscious  that  I  am  a  believer,  I  know  not  but  a  cloud 
may  come  over  my  sun,  even  at  its  going  down;  but  I 
know  also,  if  it  does,  it  will  not  stay  long.  I  will  soon  be 
above  clouds  and  mists,  in  the  pure  regions  of  eternal 
glory. 

Death  to  a  believer  is,  upon  the  whole,  an  exit  out  of 
this  world  to  eternity;  out  of  a  state  of  imperfection  to  a 
state  of  perfection  in  holiness  and  happiness  for  ever. 
Although  it  may  be  profitable  in  several  respects  for  him 
to  be  here,  while  God  sees  fit;  yet  to  be  absent  from  the 
flesh  and  to  be  present  with  the  Lord  is  far  better.  (2 
Cor.  5.  1—8.  Phil.  1.  21—24.) 


601 

The  body  of  the  believer  rests  in  the  £2^rave,  waiting  for 
the  glorious  j)romise  of  the  resurrection,  which  will  as- 
suredly be  fulfilled;  when  the  sleeping  dust  shall  arise 
and  join  again  with  the  happy  spirit,  to  be  for  ever  hap- 
py together:  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord, 
"  from  henceforth,  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  nia)  rest 
"  from  their  labours,  and  their  works  do  follow  them." 
(Rev.  14.  13.)  "  So  when  this  corruption  shall  have  put 
*'  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on  im- 
*'  mortality,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  tliat 
"is  written:"  (Hos.  13.  14.)  "  Death  is  swallowed  up  in 
"  victory.  (Is.  25.  8.)  O  death  where  is  thy  sting?  O  grave 
"  where  is  thy  victory?"  (1  Cor.  15.  54,  55.) 

2.  To  be  acquitted  at  the  day  of  judgment  is  an  un- 
speakable blessing  and  a  privilege,  which  belongs  to  none 
of  the  children  of  men  but  believers;  and  they  have  the  as- 
surance of  it  by  the  positive  engagement  of  Christ:  "  He 
"that  believeth,  &c.  shall  not  come  into  condemnation." 
(John  5.  24.)  "Then  shall  the  king  say  to  them  on  the 
"  right  hand,  come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the 
"  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
"world."  (Mat.  25.  34.) 

It  isnot  my  intention  todive  into  the  nicetiesof  the  resur- 
rection. The  apostle  ( 1  Cor.  15. )  has  demonstrated  the  pos- 
sibility and  the  certainty  of  it;  and  the  mode  or  manner  of  it  is 
not  material  for  us  to  know,  nor  perhaps  possible  for  us  at 
present  to  ascertain.  God,  who  at  first  created  us  of  the  dust 
of  the  earth,  can  by  the  same  almighty  power  recreate  our 
bodies,  so  to  speak,  of  the  dust  of  our  former  body.  And 
as  he  breathed  in  Adam  the  breath  of  lile,  so  he  can 
cause  the  soul  to  reanimate  the  new  framed  body,  so  that 
the  man  will  again  become  a  living  soul;  and  consequently 
the  same  identical  man  which  he  was  before. 

It  is  shocking  to  think  of  the  resurrection  of  tlie  wicked. 
The  senseless  body  brought  out  of  prison  and  animated 
whh  the  miserable   spirit  summoned   bv  the   almighty 

4G 


602 

mandate,  opens  its  eyes  amidst  the  horrors  of  the  day  of 
judg-mcnt.  It  must  be  unspeakably  awful  to  be  dragged 
to  the  bar  of  God.  How  tremendous  the  presence  of  the 
Judge!  clothed  with  infinite  glory!  Jesus  Christ  the  me- 
diator, honoured  with  the  ineffable  glory  of  the  Father, 
surrounded  and  attended  with  all  the  host  of  heaven,  ap- 
pearing in  his  human  body  with  the  scars  of  his  cruci- 
fixion, the  eternal  memorandum  of  his  great  atonement 
for  his  people!  But  how  will  unbelievers  stand  the  test 
or  bear  tlie  dreadful  shock?  How  is  it  possible  for  sinners 
now  in  the  day  of  their  merciful  visitation  to  live  careless 
and  thoughtless,  and  slight  the  offers  of  the  gospel,  when 
they  know  and  believe  that  this  dreadful  day  is  ap- 
proaching? 

But  the  day  of  judgment  will  be  a  triumphant  day  to 
believers.  They  are  directed  to  look  up  and  to  lift  up 
their  heads,  because  their  redemption  draweth  nigh. 
(Luke  21.  28.)  How  unspeakably  happy  must  the  be- 
liever feel,  when  his  body  is  raised,  a  glorious,  incorrup- 
tible body,  reanimated  with  a  soul  unspotted,  and  formed 
in  the  image  of  God!  He  will  be  a  perfect  man  in  Christ 
indeed.  The  Judge  will  be  still  his  unchangeable  friend. 
His  righteousness  will  still  be  imputed;  and  the  believer's 
title  to  eternal  glory  will  abide  the  solemn  test. 

The  great  Sovereign  of  the  universe,  the  Judge  of 
quick  and  dead,  with  awful  authority,  and  with  infinite 
faithfulness  and  love,  will  pronounce  the  blissful  sen- 
tence: "  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Fiither,  inherit  the  king- 
"  dom  prepared  foryou  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 
This  will  unquestionably  determine  their  state,  and  in- 
troduce them  into  their  heavenly  mansions. 

This  will  be  a  most  sublime  scene.  Nothing  on  earth 
could  ever  equal  it.  Every  thing,  every  circumstance, 
every  state  and  station,  begins  to  put  on  eternity  and  to 
wear  the  awful  grandeur  of  unchangeabilily.  He  that  is 
filthy  must  be  filthy  still;  and  he  that  is  holy  must  be  holy 


603 

still.  Sinners  are  done  with  all  their  hajipincss  and  hopes; 
;ill  thtir  little  resources  of  pleasure  are  cut  oft";  and  their 
cm|)ty  prospects  are  vanished  away;  and  nothing  now  re- 
mains but  eternal  wretchedness  and  despair,  the  dreadful 
consequence  of  sin  and  rejecting  the  crucified  Saviour. 

And  on  the  other  hand,  the  believer  is  done  w  ilh  all  his 
cares,  struggles,  imperfections  and  temptations.  The  re- 
surrection has  given  the  final  blow,  destroyed  the  last 
enemy,  and  put  a  close  to  the  warfare.  And  now  the  vic- 
tory is  obtained;  and  nothing  remains  but  to  wear  the  lau- 
rels in  the  mansions  of  glor} ,  in  honour  to  our  glorious 
captain,  in  a  complete  conibrmity  to  his  image  and 
enjo^•ing  God  as  our  infinite  and  eternal  inheritance. 
"  Blessed  are  they  who  are  called  to  the  marriage  supper 
*' of  the  Lamb." 

My  dear  reader,  M'hat  low  ideas  we  have  of  those  all- 
interesting  scenes!  None  but  immortal  eyes  can  sec,  none 
but  immortal  hearts  can  feel  those  things  which  are  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  mortals  this  side  the  grave.  But 
through  the  glass  of  God's  word,  by  faith  we  can  have  a 
glimmering  view,  sometimes  enough  to  make  our  hearts 
burn  within  us;  and  in  the  pleasing  rapture  of  our  mind, 
in  full  confidence  in  him  who  is  unchangeable  in  his  word, 
either  to  feel  ourselves  disposed  to  wait  \\  ith  patience, 
rejoicing  in  the  prospect,  or  to  say,  ''  even  so,  come  Lord 
"  Jesus." 

But  I  have  one  thing  more  to  add:  One  of  the  most 
solemn  and  interesting  scenes  whicli  will  take  place 
on  the  great  day  of  consummation,  will  be  Christ  Jesus, 
the  glorious  Mediator,  giving  up  the  kingdom  to  his 
Father,  and  God  becoming  all  in  all. 

Nothinginall  the  military  aehievementsofgeneralGeorgc 
Washington  exhibited  so  much  true  grandeur,  or  was  so 
much  calculated  to  strike  our  minds  wilh  sublime  ideas,  as 
that  grand  scence  which  took  place  when  he  delivered  up 
his  commission  to  congress,  at  the  close  of  the  war.  The 


604 

noble  ingenuousness  and  faithfulness,  which  evidently  ac- 
tuated the  breast  of  him,  who  was  justly  reckoned  among 
the  greatest  generals  in  the  world,  and  the  reception  of 
the  commission,  exhibiting  the  cordial  approbation  of 
congress  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  general,  present  a  very 
moving  scene  before  us,  which  cannot  fail  to  attract  our 
approbation  and  admiration,  and  fill  our  minds  with  every 
idea  that  is  good  and  great.  But  why  do  I  descend  to 
comparatively  little  things?  The  glorious  scene  which 
now  presents  itself  to  our  view,  is  the  great  Redeemer 
of  sinners;  having  completely  performed  his  work,  and 
brought  to  glory  all  whom  his  Father  had  given  to  him, 
now  putting  down  all  rule,  and  all  authority  and  power  with 
which  he  had  been  vested  as  a  Mediator;  (Is.  9.  6.  Mat. 
28.  18.  John  5.  19 — 27.  and  6.  39.  and  14.  28.  and  3.  35.) 
and  yielding  up  the  whole  government  of  all  things  again 
to  his  Father,  who  had  put  all  things  under  him.  And  the 
human  nature  of  Christ  becomes  subject  to  God;  and 
God  the  glorious  Deity  becomes  all  in  all. 

This  is  one  of  the  things,  as  Peter  observes,  in  Paul's 
epistles  hard  to  be  understood.  But  although  we  cannot 
sound  the  bottom  of  that  profound  doctrine,  yet  we  can 
at  least  see  this  far,  that  the  whole  work  of  redemption 
will  be  closed  at  the  great  day;  and  in  consequence  of 
Christ  giving  up  his  authority,  the  final  establishment  of 
all  things  must  take  place.  Christ  will  have  no  more 
power  to  save  a  sinner;  the  overtures  of  the  gospel  must 
cease  for  ever;  and  no  sinner  can  have  a  divine  warrant 
to  believe  on  Christ;  nor  Christ  authority  to  impute  his 
righteousness,  to  give  his  Spirit,  or  to  make  intercession^ 
or  to  do  one  thing  relating  to  the  salvation  of  one  soul. 
All  that  Christ  did  relative  to  the  salvation  of  sinners,  he 
did  it  by  special  authority  given  to  him  of  the  Fadier  as 
he  often  declares.  But  now  the  date  of  his  commission, 
so  to  speak,  is  out;  the  glorious  scene  b  closed;  all 
the  elect  brought  in;  and  Christ  who  was  intrusted  with 


605 

ihe  manafrement  and  care  of  the  whole  business,  now 
presents  liis  u hole  ehureh  to  his  Father  without  spot,  or 
wrinkle  or  any  such  thing,  saying,  "  Behold  1  and  the 
"  children  which  God  hath  given  me/'  (Heb.  2.  13.  Is. 
8.  iS.)  The  gospel  plan  now  has  extended  its  conquest 
as  far  as  it  was  intended;  and  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord 
are  introduced  to  their  heavenly  mansions  to  enjoy  the 
glorious  blessings  prepared  for  them  by  Christ,  and  to 
behold  his  glory  for  ever.  But  the  wicked  and  unbeliev- 
ing are  cast  into  outer  darkness,  never  more  to  enjoy 
another  call  of  the  gospel.  How  can  they,  when  there  is 
no  commissioned  Saviour  to  give  them  one?  He  is  truly 
a  wise  man  who  accepts  of  mercy  while  it  is  freely  offer- 
ed. But  that  unhappy  soul  who  sits  the  time  of  his  mer- 
ciful visitation,  must  be  lost  for  ever.^  (1  Cor.  15. 
24—28.) 

*  If  the  doctrine  of  universal  redemption  is  true,  from  the  24th  to 
the  28th  verse  of  the  15th  chapter  of  the  first  epistie  to  the  Corin- 
thians is  false.  The  advocates  for  that  system  have  changed  their 
plan.  The  first  idea  was,  that  those  who  would  be  damned  would 
make  an  atonement  for  their  own  sins  by  the  torments  endurtd  in 
hell,  denying  sin  to  be  an  infinite  evil.  This  idea,  some  more  n\odern 
writers  on  the  subject,  seem  to  decline,  and  allege  that  they  only 
suffer  enough-  to  change  their  hearts  and  bring  them  to  a  cordial 
submission  to  God.  The  absurdity  of  which  I  have  sufficiently  re- 
futed in  my  explanations  of  the  nature  of  the  fall  of  Adam,  and  the 
nature  of  spiritual  death,  and  the  penalty  of  the  law.  The  late  Anieri- 
can  .writers  have  taken  still  new  ground,  and  allege  that  eternity  is 
another  dispensation  of  the  gospel,  where  Christ  makes  more  vigo- 
rous exertions,  and  iiscs  the  iron  rod  to  bring  hardened  sinners  to 
their  senses,  as  they  say;  and  by  these  means  compels  them  to  sub- 
mit to  the  gospel;  antl  when  they  believe  they  are  still  saved  throuirh 
Christ  on  the  footing  of  the  atonement  of  the  cross. 

But  when  wc  read  the  above  cited  passage,  we  find  that  this  im- 
provement of  their  plan  is  as  absurd  as  any  other.  For  we  find  that 
there  can  be  no  Saviour  to  save  them  when  thoy  do  bclie\e;  or  rather 
that  there  can  be  no  ofl'er  of  salvation  made  to  them.  Christ  could 
make  none,  for  he  will  have  no  authority.  And  if  any  of  the  devils  in 
hell  or  any  of  the  damned,  would  (for  none  other  would  or  could)  it 
^ouldbc  of  ho  account.  So  that  their  ilate  will  be  fiivcd  for  ever. 


606 

3.  In  the  last  place  those  who  are  acquitted  at  the  day 
of  judgment  will  be  for  ever  established  in  glory.  As  to 

It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  I  can  discuss  this  subjectiin  the  bounds 
of  a  note;  my  intention  is  to  advert  to  this  very  pertinent  passage  of 
scripture,  as  an  incontrovertible  proof  of  the  absurdity  of  this  vague 
and  very  ill  founded  sentiment.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the  apostle 
in  this  chapter  is  speaking  of  the  circuuustances  of  the  resurrection. 
His  first  argument  is  the  resurrection  of  Christ;  this  he  pursues  with 
various  reasonings  and  testimonies  until  the  18th  verse.  He  then  ar- 
gues from  the  hopes  which  the  gospel  gives  of  futurity.  Then  he  ar- 
gues from  Christ  and  Adam  being  covenant  heads,  having  opposite 
effects  on  those  they  represented.  Then  he  introduces  this  circumstance 
as  another  argument  pointing  out  the  necessity  of  the  resurrection,  in 
order  that  Christ  may  completely  fulfil  the  special  appointment  of  his 
Father;  before  he  could  possibly  do  this  he  must  destroy  death,  which 
was  the  last  thing  to  be  done  in  the  great  plan  of  redemption;  which 
most  certainly  pi'oves  the  necessity  of  the  resurrection.  He  then  goes 
onto  argue  from  the  idea  of  baptism,  which  initiates  us  into  the  hope 
of  the  gospel,  which  is  the  resurrection  of  Chiist,  as  the  first  begotten 
from  the  dead,  and  is  the  foundation  of  the  hope  of  the  glorious  re- 
surrection of  all  who  die  in  him.  This  he,  calls  being  baptized  for  the 
dead,  or  baptized  into  the  hope  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead;  which 
would  certainly  be  a  vain  hope  if  the  dead  rise  not.  He  then  argues 
from  the  various  and  drendful  sufferings  he  endured  in  propagating 
the  gospel;  and  partiouluv'y  because  he  preached  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead.  He  then  answers  some  objections  and  gives  a  most  beau- 
tiful account  of  the  nature  of  the  resurrection;  contrasts  Christ  and 
Adam;  makes  mention  of  the  change  of  those  v/ho  shall  be  alive 
when  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  takes  place;  describes  the  glorious 
state  of  the  body  after  it  is  raised;  and  concludes  the  whole  with  the 
triumpiiant  song  of  victory  over  death  and  the  grave. 

The  apostle  in  this  chapter*  is  therefore  evidently  treating  of  the 
resurrection,  from  first  to  last;  and  when  we  compare  this  chapter 
with  the  last  of  the  25th  of  Matthev/,  and  many  other  passages,  we 
have  two  things  established  beyond  all  contradiction,  viz.  that  in  the 
issue  of  the  judgment  thousands  will  be  sent  to  hell;  and  that  Christ, 
the  only  Saviour,  provided  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  through  whom 
only  a  sinner  can  possibly  be  saved,  will  lay  down  his  mediatorial  offi- 
ces and  give  up  all  to  his  Father;  so  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  the 
damned  ever  to  be  saved  through  him,  he  having  no  authority  to 
save. 

Those  unhappy  wretches  who  hope  for  an  opportunity  of  salvation 
in  the  other  world  will  certainly  find  themselves  awfully  disappointed; 


607 

the  happiness  of  heaven  it  is  much  easier  to  indulge  sub^ 
lime  and  p^lorious  thoiij^hts  of  it,  than  to  r.onimuiiicute 
our  tlioiig-hts  by  hinguage.  It  would  be  impossible  to 
reach,  with  our  most  exalted  ideas,  even  the  threshold  of 
that  happy  place.  The  bible  gives  us  the  most  lively  and 
animated  representations  of  it,  dressed  in  all  the  beauty  of 
St}  le  and  figure,  and  confirms  our  hopes  that  hereafter  wc 
shall  put  on  immortality,  and  be  made  partakers  of  bless- 
edness, too  great  for  tongue  to  describe,  or  even  our 
hearts  to  conceive. 

I  will  not  say  much  on  this  most  exalted  subject,  but 
leave  my  reader,  after  making  a  few  simple  observations, 
to  his  own  meditations;  or  rather  to  wait  till  the  happy- 
time  come,  when  he  shall  not  need  my  feeble  pen  to  attract 
his  heart,  but  shall  see  as  he  is  seen,  and  know  as  he  is 
known. 

1.  The  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  and  for  ever  will  be  as 
happy  as  they  can  possibly  be,  according  to  their  respec- 
tive capacities. 

2.  Their  happiness  will  consist  in  the  enjoyment  of 
God,  in  beholding  his  glory  and  in  being  perfectly  con- 
formed to  his  image* 

3.  Their  happiness  will  be  without  alloy  or  diminu- 
tion; free  from  all  imperfection;  separated  from  all  sin 
and  sinners;  and  in  serving  and  praising  God  and  enjoying 
him  as  their  portion  for  ever. 

4.  They  will  be  completely  established  in  holiness  and 
happiness.  The  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ  will  for 
ever  entitle  them  to  the  favoiu'  and  friendship  of  God;  and 
the  constant  manifestations  of  the  divine  glory  will  eter- 
nally keep  them  from  sinning.  They  will  consequently 
love  and  adore  a  God  of  spotless  perfection  for  ever. 

How  unlike  this  valley  of  tears,  this  state  of  impel  fac- 
tion and  sorrow!  How  unlike  that  doleful,  lost  and  ruined 

and  when  they  find  tlic  door  of  mercy  shut  for  ever,  neither  Suviour^ 
nor  gospel,  and  therefore  not  one  offer  of  mercy,  thcic  wUl  be  jiotliini; 
left  but  weeping,  Mailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 


6<)8 

itate  in  which  we  were  by  nature!  Jesus  our  forerunner 
has  taken  possession  in  the  name  of  all  his  people,  and 
will  assuredly  bring  them  all  to  that  happy  place.  There  is 
something  truly  elegant,  sweet  and  glorious  in  that  part 
of  Christ's  intercessory  prayer  to  his  Father  for  his  dis- 
ciples: (John  17.  24.)  "  Father  I  will  that  they  also  whom 
"  thou  hast  gi  en  me  be  with  me  where  I  am;  that  they 
"  may  behold  my  glory." 

0  happy  state,  O  blest  abode! 

1  shall  be  near  and  like  my  Godl 
My  inward  foes  shall  all  be  slain, 
Nor  Satan  break  my  peace  again. 
Then  shall  I  see  and  hear  and  know 
All  I  desir'd  or  wish'd  below; 

And  eveiy  power  find  sweet  employ, 
in  that  eternal  world  of  joy. 


(i09 


CONCLUSION 


No  wonder  the  angels  desire  to  look  into  the  mysteries 
of  the  gospel.  The  fulness  of  the  godhead  is  mani- 
fested in  the  face  of  Christ  Jesus.  The  gospel  is  a  de- 
lightful stcidy;  and  were  it  not  for  the  depravit}^  of  our 
heaits  we  certainl}-  would  gready  relish  and  admire  the 
wonders  of  divinity. 

But  alas!  we  are  sinners  and  have  lost  our  taste  for 
divine  things;  and  hence  it  is  with  difficulty  that  we  can 
persuade  sinners  to  attend  to  the  doctrines  of  the  cross 
of  Christ.  There  is  nothing  under  the  sun  so  much 
concerns  us  to  know  as  the  way  of  salvation  through 
a  crucified  Saviour;  yet  we  arc  so  infatuated  that  we  feel 
the  study  of  divinity  the  most  irksome  employment  we 
can  engage  in.  We  have  every  opportunity  to  learn  di- 
vinity; bibles,  commentators,  treatises  and  sermon  books 
in  our  houses;  and  opportunities  on  the  sabbath  to  attend 
upon  public  discourses,  on  divine  subjects;  and  add  to 
all  this,  we  have  the  strongest  possible  motives  to  induce 
us  to  attend  with  diligence  to  the  divine  lessons  which 
relate  to  our  eternal  salvation;  yet,  notwithstanding  all, 
how  many  thousands  know  not  the  first  rudiments  of  the 
gospel.  Neither  can  they  be  persuaded  to  turn  their  at- 
tention to  the  very  things  which  belong  to  their  everlasting 
welfare. 

It  is  strange  and  unaccountable  how  mankind  can 
saunter  away  their  precious  time,  and  keep  themselves 
always  busy  doing  nothing.  The  sabbath  is  a  mere  bur- 
den for  want  of  emplovment;  and  the  time  wc  have  to 

4H 


610 

spare  on  week-days  are  either  slept  away  with  our  eyes 
open,  or  spent  in  mere  amusements,  profitable  to  neither 
soul  nor  body.  And  when  we  choose  to  spend  a  few  hours 
in  the  day;  or  in  a  long  winter  night  in  reading,  a  novel, 
a  history  or  a  newspaper  claims  our  attention  preferably 
to.  the  word  of  God,  or  any  thing  that  will  bring  us  to 
the  knowledge  of  Christ,  or  the  method  of  the  salvation 
of  our  own  souls.  Hours  can  be  spent  with  pleasure,  in 
insignificant  nonsense,  or  curious  trifles;  but  to  be  en- 
gaged a  few  minutes  in  the  glorious  things  of  the  gospel 
will  make  us  gape,  and  yawn,  and  flag,  as  if  we  had  got- 
ten out  of  our  natural  climate,  and  were  engaged  in 
something  which  did  not  concern  us. 

Can  the  philosopher  account  for  those  things?  Were  I 
to  tell  this  story  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  moon,  they 
would  certainly  not  believe  me.  They  could  not  imagine 
it  possible  that  a  rational  creature,  in  danger  of  eternal 
ruin,  who  had  an  opportunity  to  escape,  could  be  so 
careless  about  a  matter  of  such  infinite  importance  as 
to  spend  his  time  in  mere  insignificant  trifles,  while  he 
Wixs  every  moment  in  danger  of  hellfire.  But  a  man  of 
this  world  could  laugh  at  his  incredulity,  and  present  him- 
self as  an  instance  of  the  fact.  He  could  let  the  lunar  inha- 
bitant see  that  it  is  really  possible  for  a  sinner  to  slight  his 
Saviour,  and  disrelish  and  disregard  the  offers  of  salva- 
tion made  to  his  own  soul;  and  that  he  can  live  year  after 
year  as  happy  as  a  prince  with  hell's  horrors  hovering  over 
his  head;  and  laugh  and  play  and  banter  even  the  God 
who  made  him. 

Considering  its  awful  importance,  there  is  nothing  so 
much  slighted  as  the  gospel.  Thousands  in  the  world 
live  as  it  were  in  sight  of  the  smoke  of  the  altar  who  sel- 
don  hear  a  sermon  preached;  and  thousands  who  attend 
on  the  gospel  every  sabbath,  and  read  the  bible,  arc  as 
bcid  as  they.  It  is  certainly  impossible  to  account  for 
such  most  unreasonable  conduct  in  sinners,'  but  on  the 


Gil 
very  principles  which  I  have  been  endeavouring  to  ex- 
plain. 

Adam  tell;  and  all  mankind  fell  in  him;  they  arc  deser- 
ted,  left  and  lost  in  an  awful  state  of  blmdness,  guilt  and 
sin.'    But  although  on  these  principles  we  can  account 
philosophically  for  the  stupidity  and  most  unreasonable 
conduct  of  sinners,  yet  it  will  be  no  solace  for  a  damned 
soul,  that  he  can  tell  how  he  came  to  ruin.   If  a  lost  sin- 
ner sees  and  feels  that  he  is  in  an  irrecoverable  state  of 
misery  in  consequence  of  his  having  shut  his  eyes  and 
stopped  his  ears  against  all  warnings  and  reproofs  and 
refused  to  accept  of  salvation  when  it  was  freely  offered, 
it  will  not  allay,  but  rather  aggravate  his  miser}-.  The 
time  is  coming,  and  perhaps  not  far  distant,  when  those 
who  will  live  in  sin  and  refuse  to  obey  the  gospel  will 
find  that  they  must  lie  down  in  sorrow,  in  consequence 
of  their  carelessness,  and  refusing  to  submit  to  the  offers 

of  salvation. 

There  is  not  a  man  to  be  found,  who  lives  under  the 
gospel  but  knows  he  is  a  sinner.  We  have  no  difficult) 
to  convince  the  world  of  this,  or  at  least  to  luring  them 
to  an  acknowledgment  of  it.  They  also  know  that  God 
will  punish  sinners.  The  bible  gives  the  glad  tidings  of  a 
crucilied  Saviour;  and  it  is  universally  acknowledged  that 
faith  is  necessary  to  salvation,  and  that  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned;  Init  the  most  difficult  matter  is  to 
bring  sinners  to  consider  these  things,  and  to  lay  them 

to  heart.  , ,  .  . . 

Sinners  are  fond  of  present  ease,  and  love  sin,  and  have 
no  taste  for  holiness;  therefore  they  choose  to  live  m  sin 
at  the  risk  of  their  lives;  and  to  keep  their  consciences 
easy  thev  keep  the  dreadful  consequences  of  sin  out  o\ 
view,  and  rush  on  headlong  to  destruction. 

But  God  is  pleased  to  make  known  his  wonderful 
..race  and  merey  in  bringing  sinners  to  a  sense  of  their 
sin  and   in  persuading   them  to  embrace   ihr  precou^ 


61^ 

offers  of  the  gospel.  Were  it  not  for  this,  there  never 
would  one  soul  believe  on  Christ.  The  wonderful  plan 
of  the  gospel,  the  death  of  Christ  and  the  preaching  of 
the  word  would  all  be  in  vain;  for  experience  proves  as 
well  as  the  bible,  that  no  one  will  come  to  Christ  except 
the  Father  draws  him  by  his  divine  teaching. 

Jesus  promised  to  send  J:he  Comforter;  and  in  describ- 
ing the  grand  business,  or  work  which  he  had  to  perform 
he  says,  "  He  will  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteous- 
"  ness,  and  of  judgment."  In  doing  this  the  sinner  is 
made  to  partake  of  full  and  complete  salvation.  Wher- 
ever the  gospel  is  blessed  by  Christ,  it  is  in  this  very  way: 
even  by  his  Spirit  reproving  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and 
of  judgment. 

The  word  "  reprove"  is  not  a  very,  happy  word  to  ex- 
press the  sense  of  the  Greek  word,  i^ty^u.  (John  16.  8. )  In 
Heb.  11.  1.  it  is  rendered  "  evidence."  In  John  8.  46.  it 
is  rendered  "  convince."  To  say  "  reprove  of  sin,"  is  not 
very  good  English;  to  "  reprove  of  righteousness  and  of 
"  judgment,"  is  very  awkward  language,  and  has  no  idea  at 
all.  The  word  means  to  argue,  so  as  to  demonstrate;  and 
the  sense  of  this  very  important  text  is  this:  "  And  when 
"  he  is  come,  he  will  demonstrate,  so  as  to  overcome  by 
"  clear  evidence  the  world,  as  to  sin,  as  to  righteousness, 
**  and  as  to  judgment."  The  word  "  sin"  means  our  lost 
and  ruined  state.  The  word  "  righteousness"  means  the 
way  of  salvation  through  the  atonement  of  Christ.  The 
word  "  judgment"  means  holiness  or  sanctification. 

The  Spirit  convinces  of  sin,  (because  the  sinner  believes 
not  on  Christ,)  when  he  clearly  and  fully  makes  it  appear 
to  the  sinner  that  every  thing  he  does  is  sin,  until  he  be- 
lieves; and  that  to  believe  is  the  first  duty  that  he  can 
possibly  perform;' and  that  all  his  actions  in  all  his  at- 
tempts to  keep  the  law,  or  to  perform  his  duty  in  every 
thing  are  nothing  but  sin,  until  he  comes  to  .Christ;  that 


013 

lie  has  no  holiness,  nor  can  have  any,  nncl  ctm  in  no  >vise 
be  accci)tabk'  to  God  l)ut  by  an  intcrcbi  in  Christ  by  faith. 

The  Spirit  convinces,  or  demonstrates,  as  to  righte- 
ousness (because  Christ  goes  to  the  Father)  when  he 
brings  forward  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and  shows  it  to 
the  convinced  soul,  and  gives  clear  views  of  its  validity, 
and  of  the  full  approbation  of  the  Father,  on  the  satisfac- 
tory evidences  given  in  the  word;  which  is  clearly  evinced 
in  the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead,  and  his 
glorious  exaltation  at  the  right  hand  of  God  as  an  inter- 
cessor. 

The  Spirit  by  his  divine  illuminations  demonstrates 
the  propriety  and  excellence  of  holiness,  and  the  infinite 
baseness  of  sin,  by  restoring  to  the  soul  the  glorious 
manifestations  of  the  divine  excellence,  and  so  influencing 
the  mind  to  form  a  right  judgment  as  to  holiness  and 
sin.  This  he  does  in  consequence  of  Satan's  being  de- 
throned, and  cast  out  of  the  sinner's  heart;  that  is,  when 
through  the  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness,  tlie  soul 
is  brought  from  under  the  curse  of  the  broken  coveoant; 
all  the  dreadful  consequences  of  the  fall  are  removed;  and 
the  sinner  is  redeemed  from  his  bondage  to  sin  and  Sa- 
tan. He  is  consequently  sanctiiied,  and  brought  to  a  con- 
formity to  God's  holy  image.  Hut  let  us  notice,  generally. 

1.  One  of  the  distinguishing  excellencies  of  the  gospel 
is,  that  it  lays  a  plan  before  the  sinner,  by  which  it  is 
possible  for  his  soul  to  become  holy,  and  so  the  image 
of  God  restored  to  him  which  he  forfeited  and  lost  bv 
the  fall.  And  an  excellence  of  this  plan  is,  that  faith  is 
the  only  thing  required  as  a  condition  on  the  sinner's  part, 
in  order  to  obtain  every  savhig  blessing  of  the  gospel. 
How  happy,  how  thankful,  and  how  humble  ought  a 
sinner  to  feel  himself,  when  he  tliinks  of  the  gospel  plan 
of  salvation.  O  sinner!  on  such  a  subject  as  this,  would 
to  God  I  could  speak  to  your  heart.  \V'hat  a  most  un- 
speakable privilege  you  enjoy!  Had  God  dealt  with  you. 


614 

as  you  justly  deserved,  how  miserable  you  would  have 
been,  long  e'er  how!  Instead  of  being  a  subject  of  the 
kind  offers  of  mercy,  you  would  be  lifting  up  your  des- 
pairing eyes  in  the  flames  of  hell,  mingling  groans  with 
devils,  wringing  your  hands,  and  gnashing  your  teeth 
under  the  weight  of  inflexible  justice.  But  instead  of 
this  you  have  Christ  pleading  with  you,  in  the  gospel,  to 
accept  of  salvation;  and  because  you  are  not  able  to  ran- 
som 3^our  own  soul,  he  offers  you  his  own  righteousness 
for  your  salvation.  By  him  you  may  be  pardoned,  sanc- 
tified, and  made  happy  for  ever. 

Can  you  feel  those  circumstances,  sinner?  Do  you 
know  that  by  nature,  you  are  under  the  curse  of  God's 
law?  Do  you  know  that  Christ  died  on  the  cross,  that 
sinners  miglit  live?  Do  you  know  that  pardon  and  holi- 
ness are  offered  to  you  freely?  Do  you  know  that  you 
must  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?  Do  you  know 
that  if  you  will  not  believe,  you  must  be  damned?  How 
then  can  you  be  indifferent,  and  spend  your  time  in  care- 
lessness about  the  salvation  of  your  own  soul? 

But  sinners  are  prone  to  make  their  excuses.  They 
are  too  young,  or  too  old;  they  are  too  busy  or  too  care- 
less; it  is  time  enough  yet.  Or  perhaps  they  say,  they 
can  do  nothing;  and  it  is  in  vain  to  try.  It  is  almost 
useless  to  make  any  reply  to  these  objections;  for  even 
^vhen  we  easily  demonstrate  the  folly  of  them  all,  yet  the 
sentiment  remains  still  the  same.  A  sinner's  heart  will 
reply,  even  when  his  mouth  is  shut,  or  even  when  he 
acknowledges  his  own  folly;  yet  his  life  and  daily  prac- 
tice show  that  he  is  still  the  same. 

I  would  solemnly  warn  every  sinner  to  guard  against 
giving  way  to  any  temptation,  that  would  persuade  him 
to  put  off"  religion  one  single  moment.  Let  nothing  dis- 
courage him  from  trying  to  believe  in  Christ.  Christ  is 
too  precious,  salvation  is  too  interesting,  and  the  immor- 
tal soul  is  too  important  to  be  slighted  for  insignificant 


615 

iiifles.  Heaven  is  too  glorious,  hell  is  too  dreadful,  and 
eternity  too  long,  to  be  disregarded  by  one  who  expects 
to  die  every  moment;  by  one  who  expects  to  live  for  ever. 
Life  is  too  short  and  too  brittle  to  be  trusted  to.  Death 
is  too  near  to  be  put  off;  and  judgment  is  too  certain  and 
awful  to  be  disregarded.  Does  not  the  sinner  shudder 
at  the  thought  of  d}  ing  out  of  Christ?  then  how  can  he 
live  one  moment  destitute  of  faith,  when  he  knows  not 
but  he  must  die  after  the  very  next  breath  he  draws? 

2.   How  can  infidels  trust  to  a  sorry  indigested  plan 
for  their  eternal  salvation?  And  how  can  they  reject  the 
happy  offers  which  they  enjoy,  founded  on  the  rational 
plan  of  the  gospel?  If  the  gospel  is  mere  priestcraft,  those 
priests  who  contrived  it,  really  deserve  credit  for  their 
ingenuity.   All  the  wit  and  wisdom  of  Greece  and  Rome 
nevei-  could  have  done  it.  iVIere  human  powers  would 
fall   infinitely  short  of  such  a  plan.   And  I  am   serious 
when  I  say,  that  it  would  l)e  proper,  and  very  rational, 
and  what  any  man  of  common  sense  would  expect  and 
have  a  just  right  to  demand,  that  those  gentlemen  who 
profess  to  be  so  far  into  the  secrets  of  natural  reason,  and 
are  so  very  highly  blessed  with  knowledge,  and  are  so 
well  enlightened  that  they  need  no  revelation  from  iheir 
Maker,  before  they  attempt  to  overthrow  the  gospel  plan 
of  salvation,  would  lay  before  us  a  better  one.  This  they 
have  never  attempted  yet;  although  they  have  been  wri- 
ting, and  talking,  and  thinking,  through  eighteen  centu- 
ries; and  this  is  the  first  thing  they  ought  to  have  done. 
But  it  is  no  wonder  they  have  never  attempted  to  lay  ii 
better  plan  than  the  gospel;  but  have  contented  tliem- 
selves  with  finding  fault  w  ith  the  plan  which  was  laid  by 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  They  are  so  much  enlightened,  and 
their  diplomatic  skill  instructs  them  to  know  that  it  is 
much  easier  to  pick  at,  and  firid  fault  with,  a  beautiful 
edifice  than  construct  it;  any  fool  can  do  the  one;  but  it 
jequires  wisdom  to  do  the  other 


61(3 

What  few  outlines  of  a  plan  which  we  can  at  all  collect 
from  their  writings  is  a  mere  chaos;  and  they  differ  in 
their  notions.  Some  will  have  no  hell  nor  devil,  because 
they  have  never  seen  any;  some  have  no  justice  in  God, 
and  I  confess  they  are  consistent  with  themselves  here; 
for  there  must  either  be  no  sinners,  or  no  justice,  or  no 
hell;  if  there  are  sinners,  and  if  God  is  just,  and  if  Jesus 
Christ  was  an  impostor,  there  must  of  course  be  a  hell; 
for  justice  and  sinners,  without  Christ,  must  have  a  hell; 
sin  and  justice  never  could  make  a  heaven.  Some  have 
no  hereafter,  so  that  death  puts  a  final  end  to  our  exis- 
tance.  Others  again  adopt  a  skeleton  of  morality,  consist- 
ing in  honour,  honesty  benevolence,  &c. 

Now,  ail  these  plans  lack  proof  Reason  contradicts 
them  every  one.  It  demonstrates  that  we  are  sinners,  and 
that  God  is  just,  and  that  consequently  he  must  punish; 
and  the  infliction  of  justice  must  make  a  hell  for  a,sinner; 
and  that  there  is  an  hereafter.  That  plan  is  not  a  wise 
one  which  makes  an  immortal  soul  rest  upon  a  mere 
vague  notion  for  its  eternal  happiness.  It  is  therefore 
reasonable  for  us  to  require  something  better  than  the 
gospel  plan,  before  we  can  part  with  the  christian  reli- 
gion. We  have  immortal  souls;  and  we  confess  that  we 
are  sinners;  and  we  know  that  our  Creator  is  a  God  of 
inflexible  justice;  and  we  know  of  no  way  to  satisfy  its 
infinite  demand,  but  either  by  suffering  in  hell  for  ever, 
or  by  the  imputation  of  the  atonement  of  Him  whom  deists 
despise. 

The  gospel  is  undoubtedly  calculated  to  save  a  be- 
liever completely,  if  it  is  only  true.  It  both  pardons  the 
guilty  and  sanctifies  the  sinner.  It  brings  from  under  the 
curse,  and  entitles  us  to  the  blessing  of  God.  This  is 
salvation  indeed,  salvation  of  a  sinner;  and  even  reason 
itself  declares  that  nothing  short  of  this  can  possibly  save 
one  from  ruin,  who  has  transgressed  the  laws  of  God. 
We  firmly  believe  the  gospel  to  be  true;  it  risks  the 


617 

least,  and  insures  the  most;  and  on  the  stront^est  testi- 
mony of  any  other  plan  we  have  ever  heard  oi';  and  deists 
cannot  reasonably  exj^ect  we  can  i^ive  up  our  reHgion 
until  they  produee  us  a  better  plan  than  the  gospel. 

In  order  to  produce  such  a  plan,  they  must  have  it  to 
exceed  the  gospel  in  several  particulars,  before  a  believer 
can  with  piopriety,  on  principles  of  common  sense,  ex- 
change for  it.  In  order  to  devise  a  plan  preferable  to  the 
gospel,  several  things  are  necessar}',  such  as  the  fol- 
lowing: 

1.  It  must  give  us  a  more  perfect  account  of  the  di- 
vine perfections,  of  the  works  and  providence  of  God, 
of  the  creation,  of  the  introduction  of  sin,  of  the  univer- 
sal depravity  of  the  human  race.  2,  They  must  tell  us 
whether  a  sinner  can  be  saved  or  not  consistent  with 
perfect  justice.  If  not,  whether  God  will  submit  to  be 
unjust  himself,  to  save  a  sinner  from  the  penalty  of  the 
law;  if  he  will  not,  they  must  tell  us  whether  tlie  sinner 
himself  suffers  the  penalty;  or  does  a  surety  do  it  for 
him?  If  the  sinner  suffers  himself,  can  he  be  happy  and 
miserable  both  at  once?  or  can  he  survive  his  sufferings? 
3.  If  a  surety  suffers  for  him,  is  he  able  to  do  it,  and  live? 
and  are  his  sufferings  adequate  to  the  demands  of  infinite 
justice?  Who  is  the  surety?  Where  is  he?  Has  he  made 
atonement?  or  has  he  promised  to  do  it?  4.  They  must 
tell  us  how  we  are  to  be  interested  in  this  atonement;  or 
on  what  conditions  God  can  be  merciful  to  us.  And  in 
the  last  place,  the  truth  of  their  account  must  be  better 
established  than  the  gospel  is.  Their  proofs  must  be 
more  substantial  than  the  proofs  for  the  christian  religion. 
They  must  transcend  the  evidence  or  testimony  which 
arises  from  miracles  and  prophecies,  Sec.  Their  arguments 
must  be  stronger  than  Moses'  dividing  the  Red  Sea,  and 
supporting  an  army  consisting  of  between  two  and  three 
million,  men  women  and  children,  in  a  barren  wilder- 
ness fortv  years;  than  Joshua's  commanding  the  sunr  to 

i  J 


618 

stand  still;  than  Clirist  raising  the  dead,  feeding  five  and 
seven  thousand,  giving  sight  to  the  blind,  commanding 
the  winds  and  the  waves  of  the  sea;  the  general  dark- 
ness of  Christ's  crucifixion,  the  resurrection  of  Christ, 
Peter's  curing  a  lame  man,  and  many  such  miraculous 
things. 

Moreover  their  doctrine  must  be  attended  with  power, 
so  as  to  make  their  disciples  to  speak  with  tongues,  and 
their  principles  prevail  without  civil  authority,  or  the 
power  of  arms,  in  spite  of  all  the  opposition,  spite,  and 
malice  of  the  world,  of  kings  and  emperors,  fire  and 
fagot.  And  add  to  all  this,  it  must  make  sinners  holy 
and  regulate  the  disorders  of  the  mind,  to  love  God,  and 
keep  his  commandments,  better  than  the  gospel  does. 

Such  must  be  the  evidences  in  support  of  their  plan, 
before  it  would  be  reasonable  to  expect  that  a  christian, 
or  any  man  Avho  would  wish  to  act  wisely,  could  lay  aside- 
the  gospel  plan  and  adopt  theirs. 

Some  such  plan  as  this,  and  supported  by  stronger  tes- 
timony than  the  bible,  they  ought  to  have  brought  forward 
long  ago;  and  inasmuch  as  deists  have  hitherto  neglected 
this  important  part  of  their  duty,  it  is  to  be  expected  that 
now  in  this  enlightened  age  of  reason,  they  will  engage  in 
the  arduous  undertaking.  Before  they  pretend  to  vilify 
our  plan,  and  call  our  holy  religion  a  delusion,  and  priest- 
craft, and  our  adorable  Saviour  an  impostor,  let  us  be  fa- 
voured with  a  better  plan  of  salvation  than  ours,  attested 
by  better  evidences;  and  if  they  cannot  do  it,  let  them 
draw  in  their  invectives,  and  acknowledge,  like  men  of 
reason,  that  they  are  outdone.  They  need  not  think  that 
christians  are  such  fools,  as  to  give  up  their  religion  for  a 
pliantom;  and  to  be  laughed  out  of  their  principles,  and 
jockied  out  of  their  hope.  No:  a  bird  in  the  hand  is 
worth  two  in  the  bush.  Our  Saviour  has  made  universal 
nature  acknowledge  his  divine  authority,  from  the  sun  in 
his  meridian  glory,  down  to  the  dark  caverns  of  the  earth. 


619 

He  lias  made  the  very  elementb  submit  to  his  awful  con- 
trol. Tiie  animals  both  of  the  land  and  the  seas,  and  the 
birds  of  the  air  have  yielded  to  his  authority.  He  has  made 
man  submit  to  him  from  the  king  on  the  throne  to  the  beg- 
gar on  the  dunghil.  Spirits  from  the  higliest  order  in  hea- 
ven, down  to  the  lowest  devil  in  hell,  have  acknowledged 
his  glory.  His  gospel  has  alre:idy  stood  proof  against  the 
rage,  and  scorn,  and  wit,  and  subtlety  of  ten  thousand 
books,  ten  thousand  swords,  ten  thousand  dangers,  fire 
and  death,  ten  thousand  devils,  and  ten  thousand  deists; 
and  it  can  save  a  sinner  yet,  as  well  as  ever  it  did,  and 
gains  ground  every  day. 

And  must  we  give  up  the  bible?  Not  until  they  give  us 
a  better  book;  and  if  the\'  offer  us  the  book  of  reason  in 
exchange,  we  will  thank  them  very  kindly  for  their  gene- 
rous ofi'er,  and  tell  them,  that  although  they  cannot  find 
the  bible  in  the  book  of  reason,  yet  we  can  find  the  book- 
of  reason  in  the  bible.  If  they  wish  us  to  exchange,  let 
them  teach  us  something  we  do  not  know,   and  give  us 
something  we  have  not  gotten.   Christians 'are  not  such 
dupes  in  this  enlightened  age  as  to  exchange  their  birth- 
right for  a  pot  of  pottage.  Deists  may  talk,  and  write,  and 
laugh,  and  ridicule;  but  what  will  they  think,   what  will 
they  say,  or  what  will  they  do,  when  they  find  at  the  last 
day,  the  despised  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  silling  on  the  throne 
of  his  glory,  acknowledging  his  humble  followers,  and 
sentencing  hypocrites,  deists  and  devils,  to  hell?   I  am 
far  from  envying  the  happiness  of  deists  in  this  world; 
and  I  am  equally  far  from  sporting  with   their   misery 
hereafter;  but  it  is  a  truth,  the  eternal  welfare  of  their 
souls  depends  on  the  bible's  being  false.  If  I  had  not  half 
the  evidence  I  have  for  the  truth  of  the  bible,  I  hope  I 
could  never  be  guilty  of  such  deliberate  folly  as  to  run 
such  a  dismal  risk.  But  if  they  choose  to  do  it,  they  must 
suffer  for  it  in  the  end;  and  we  need  not  tormentthem  be- 


620 

fore  the  time.  I  sincerely  wish  they  would  be  wise  be* 
fore  it  is  for  ever  too  late. 

3.  It  is  in  vain  for  hypocrites  to  tamper  with  the  gos- 
pel. Those  uho  profess  the  Christian  religion,  and  yet 
live  contrary  to  its  divine  laws  and  doctrines,  greatly  in- 
jure the  cause  of  the  gospel.  They  cause  the  enemies  of 
the  Lord  to  blaspheme.  It  surely  can  be  no  mark  of  rea- 
son, to  acknowledge  the  bible  to  be  true,  yet  live  like  in- 
fidels, paying  no  more  respect  to  the  rules  of  the  bible, 
than  to  thecoran,  or  to  the  morals  of  heathen  philosophy. 

Those  who  oppose  the  bible  lay  hold  of  this  unhappy 
circumstance,  with  a  sophistical  pretence  to  invalidate  its 
influence;  and  although  the  enemies  of  religion  would  find 
some  excuse,  even  if  they  did  not  lay  hold  of  this,  yet  it  is 
a  pity  that  the  professed  votaries  for  the  bible  should  give 
occasion  to  their  professed  enemies,  to  reproach  the  cause 
of  God. 

Our  Saviour  and  his  apostles  have  guarded  particu- 
larly against  the  unhappy  consequences  of  professed 
christians  conducting  contrary  to  what  they  profess: 
*'  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  others,  see- 
*'  ing  3^our  good  works,  may  glorify  your  Father  who 
*'  is  in  heaven."  Also  Paul  says  to  Timothy,  "  In  all 
*'  things,  showing  thyself  a  pattern  of  good  works,  in  doc- 
"  trine  showing  incorruptness,  gravity,  sincerity,  sound 
*'  speech,  that  cannot  be  condemned;  that  he  who  is  of 
"  the  contrary  part  may  be  ashamed,  having  no  evil  thing 
*'  to  say  of  you." 

It  could  not  be  reasonably  expected  but  that  many 
would  be  led  to  a  profession  of  the  gospel  from  sinister 
motives;  hence  it  is  that  many  acknowledge  the  bible  to 
be  true,  and  adhere  to  the  orthodox  principles  of  religion, 
who  have  never  felt  the  power  of  godliness;  therefore 
some  are  nothing  but  hypocrites,  who  would  even  con- 
tend for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saiats,  when  their 
life  and  conversation  are  as  bad,  and  sometimes  even 


621 

worse  than  professed  infidels.  But  let  all  such  carnal  pro- 
fessors remember  that  they  are  blots  in  the  church;  and 
as  Peter  says  "  These  are  wells  without  water,  clouds 
"  that  are  carried  with  a  tempest,  to  whom  the  mist  of 
*'  darkness  is  reserved  for  ever."  And  I  have  demonstrated 
in  the  table  A  B  C  D  in  this  treatise,  that  they  are  ac- 
countable to  God  for  all  the  mischief  they  do  in  disho- 
nouring the  cause  of  Christ,  in  opening  the  mouths  of 
infidel  blasphemers  against  the  gospel. 

4.  The  truth  lies  here:  no  man  can  either  feel  or  ex- 
hibit the  truth  of  the  gospel,  but  he,  \\ho  not  only  pro- 
fesses and  believes  historically  those  important  doctrines, 
but  also  cordially  complies  with  the  requisitions  of  the 
bible,  and  consents  to  the  covenant  of  grace.  The  true 
believer  is  interested  in  Christ,  and  is  the  sulDJect  of 
sanctifying  grace.  Consequently  his  heart  is  renewed; 
and  he  is  disposed  to  that  which  is  good.  He  is  conse- 
quently the  object  of  ridicule  and  scorn,  both  from  infi- 
dels and  hypocrites.  Yet  when  arguments  are  hatched  up 
against  the  gospel  by  infidels,  the  regular  conduct  of  the 
true  believer  is  never  brought  forward;  but  only  the  con- 
duct of  those  who,  according  to  the  parable,  say  "  I  go 
"  sir,  but  went  not."  But  the  true  believer,  except  some 
instances  of  his  remaining  imperfections,  over  which  he 
daily  laments,  is  sure  to  be  an  honour  to  the  cause  of 
Christ,  wherever  he  lives  and  wherever  he  goes.  The 
reason  is  plain:  he  feels  the  proper  influence  of  the  gospel, 
and  is  actuated  by  the  Spirit  of  God  in  his  heart;  and  con- 
sequently lives  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  this 
present  world. 

5.  Every  one  who  has  the  opportunity  to  hear  the  gos- 
pel, ought  to  be  aware  of  the  awful  consequences  of 
trusting  to  a  mere  profession  of  religion.  A  man  ought 
never  to  imagine  himself  possessing  true  religion,  until 
he  has  believed  in  Christ.  Nothing  will  bring  a  man  from 
under  the  curse  of  the  law  of  God,  but  the  atonement  of 


622 

Christ;  and  nothing  can  obtain  that  atonement  but  faitli, 
which  is  the  only  condition  on  which  it  is  imputed. 

No  man  can  be  holy  until  he  believes.  The  broken  law, 
with  inflexible  rigour,  forbids  the  removal  of  spiritual 
death  until  justice  is  satisfied.  The  unbeliever  can  be  told 
of  his  guilty  state.  The  Spirit  of  God  can,  consistent  with 
the  principles  of  justice,  convince  of  sin,  and  reveal 
to  the  miserable  culprit  his  lost  and  undone  condition. 
Therefore  it  is  not  inconsistent  with  inflexible  justice  for 
the  word  and  Spirit  to  alarm  the  conscience  of  the  cursed 
sinner,  and  make  him  feel  his  awful  wretchedness. 

Also,  no  law  can  forbid  any  legal  plea  in  favour  of  the 
culprit,  which  will  not  contradict  the  requisitions  of  jus- 
tice. The  introduction  of  a  vicarious  atonement,  where 
there  is  no  injury  or  dishonour  done  to  the  government, 
justice  cannot  forbid.  Hence  it  is  perfectly  consistent  with 
the  utmost  rigour  of  law,  to  admit  the  overtures  in  the 
gospel  of  the  spotless  righteousness  of  Christ;  seeing  he 
has,  in  the  name  of  the  transgressor,  satisfied  the  law  and 
made  it  honourable.  The  Spirit  of  God  consequently,  can, 
consistent  with  the  rigour  of  divine  justice,  bring  for- 
ward the  overtures  of  the  gospel,  and  enable  the  sinner  to 
consent  to  the  proposal;  for  in  so  doing  he  would  act  in  a 
perfect  consistency  with  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law, 
both  in  convincing  of  sin  and  giving  a  view  of  the  perfect 
atonement.  But  to  remove  the  moral  darkness  of  the 
mind  by  giving  spiritual  views  or  manifestations  of  the 
divine  excellence,  the  beauty  of  holiness  and  the  love  of 
God,  would  be  contrary  to  every  dictate  of  justice,  while 
the  sinner  remains  under  the  curse.  The  covenant  of  works 
and  the  moral  law  would  absolutely  forbid  it,  until  the 
penalty  was  endured.  But  when  the  sinner,  sensible  of  His 
guilt  and  misery,  and  discovering  the  full  and  free  offers 
in  the  gospel,  is  persuaded  to  believe,  to  yield  to  the  gos- 
pel plan,  and  gives  his  consent;  then  he  is  delivered  from 
the  curse  and  entitled  to  the  blessings  of  the  covenant; 


623 

and  the  Spirit  can,  consistent  with  every  principle  of  jus- 
tice, restore  the  image  of  God  to  his  soul. 

Therefore  let  no  sinner  ever  expect  holiness  but  by  be- 
lieving in  Christ.  .Every  other  plan  is  a  mere  evasion, 
and  a  diabolical  scheme  to  frustrate  the  grace  of  God, 
and  make  the  death  of  Christ  to  be  a  mere  insi<rnificant 
compliment.  Let  all  mere  formalists,  who  have  a  name  to 
live  and  are  dead,  be  afraid;  knowing  that  all  their  mo- 
rality and  good  order  is  performed- on  heathenish  princi- 
ples, and  never  can  rescue  them  from  the  curse  of  God. 
They  must  count  all  they  do  but  dross  and  dung,  for  the 
excellence  of  Christ,  and  to  be  found  in  him,  not  having 
their  own  righteousness  which  is  of  the  law,  but  the 
righteousness  of  God  which  is  by  faith;  or  they  must  re- 
main for  ever  in  a  state  of  guilt  and  pollution. 

6.  Every  soul  under  the  gospel,  while  he  continues 
an  unbeliever,  runs  a  dreadful  risk  of  committing  the 
unpardonable  sin.  I  hope  the  world  will  not  think  me  too 
independent,  if  they  find  my  sentiments  different  from 
the  old  orthodox  opinion  on  this  awful  subject.  It  has 
been  thought  that  light  and  malice  to  a  very  great  degree 
constituted  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  never  could 
see  any  proof  or  reason  for  this.  It  is  said  that  if  Peter's 
light  and  Paul's  malice  were  in  one  person,  he  would  be 
an  impardonable  sinner.  This  is  indeed  very  whimsical. 
Paul's  malice  was  occasioned  by  darkness:  when  he  got 
Peter's  light,  it  cured  his  malice  immediately.  It  is  conse- 
quently an  impossible  case  to  have  Peter's  light  and 
Paul's  malice;  for  Peter  would  cure  Paul,  if  they  were 
both  one  person;  for  they  did  actually  become  one  per 
son  on  the  way  to  Damascus;  and  that  person  was  so  far 
from  committing  the  unpardonable  sin  that  by  this  very 
circumstance,  he  became  a  true  christian  and  a  most  emi 
nent  apostle.  This  old  opinion  passes  a  very  dry  compli 
ment  on   our    Saviour's  wisdom;    who    very   serioush 


624 

warned  the  Jews  against  a  crime  which  is,  by  this  senti- 
ment, impossible  in  its  nature  to  be  committed. 

It  is  also  said,  that  this  crime  is  seldom  or  never  com- 
mitted now  a  days;  and  some  have  gone  so  far  as  to  say 
it  is  now  impossible.  Indeed  according  to  their  construc- 
tion, it  is,  and  always  was,  impossible;  and  no  doubt  Satan 
is  highly  pleased  when  sinners  are  made  to  believe  it  im- 
possible to  commit  a  sin  which  Jesus  very  awfully  warns 
them  against;  and  a  sin  too,  which  makes  Satan  sure  of 
his  prey.  But  sinners  had  better  take  care.  Christ  has  not 
warned  when  there  is  no  danger;  and  sinners  under  the 
gospel  are  in  danger  of  committing  it  every  day. 

Again,  it  has  been  universally^  agreed  that  the  Jews 
committed  the  unpardonable  sin  by  saying,  Christ  cast 
out  devils  through  Beelzebub.  I  never  could  find  any 
foundation  for  this  notion.  Christ  gave  them  a  most  so- 
lemn warning,  lest  they  should  commit  it  when  he  would 
send  down  the  Holy  Ghost;  particularly  at  the  day  of  pen- 
tecost,  which  would  be  the  last  dispensation  of  the  gospel. 
But  he  tells  them  plainly,  that  their  blasphemously  accu- 
sing him  for  being  confederate  with  Satan  should  be  for- 
given them,  if  they  would  not  continue  to  stand  out  against 
the  gospel.  The  pharisees  giving  such  a  notorious  evi- 
dence of  their  opposition  to  the  gospel,  in  not  yielding  to 
the  evidence  of  Christ's  casting  out  devils,  but  even  im- 
puting it  to  the  agency  of  Satan  himself,  gave  grounds  for 
this  solemn  warning.  But  to  say  that  they  had  committed 
the  unpardonable  sin,  is  not  only  very  far  fetched  but  it 
will  not  comport  with  many  circumstances  relative  to 
Christ's  after  conduct  towards  the  pharisees,  which 
plainly  shows  that  they  were  not  guilty  of  that  sin. 

Christ  prayed  for  his  persecutors  on  the  cross.  No 
doubt  some  may  quibble  here,  who  are  attached  to  the 
former  opinion.  They  may  say  the  persons  were  not  the 
same.  But  inasmuch  as  they  were  the  pharisees  whom 
Christ  warned,  and  the  pharisees  whom  he  prayed  for,  I 


625 

ha  ve  no  reason  to  doubt  Ijiit  they  were  the  ver}-  same 
persons.  Christ  could  not  with  propriety  pniy  for  persons 
who  had  committed  the  sin  unto  death;  lor  we  are  forbid- 
den to  prav  for  such;  and  it  would  be  very  improper  to 
do  it. 

When  Christ  wept  over  Jerusalem  and  proj)ljcsied  their 
overthrow  by  the  Romans,  (Luke  19.)  he  speaks  express- 
ly of  their  enjoying  a  day  of  grace,  even  then;  which  could 
not  be  true  if  they  had  committed  the  unpardonable  sin. 
Peter  on  the  day  of  pcntecost  accuses  those  \  ery  persons 
who  were  converted,  of  crucifying  Christ,*Milh  wicked 
hands,  after  he  had  approved  himself,  or  proved  his  di- 
vinity, by  the  many  signs  and  miracles  which  he  wrought 
among  them.  They  were  doubtless,  the  very  persons 
who  had  blasphemed  Christ,  as  having  an  unclean  spirit. 
(Acts  2.  and  3.) 

Their  saying  that  Christ  cast  out  devils  through  Beel- 
zebub, was  not  blaspheming  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  but 
against  the  Son  of  God;  consequently  Christ  tells  them 
their  sin  was  pardonable,  it  not  being  the  unpardonable 
sin.  Although  it  is  a  fact  that  the  apostles  spoke  with 
tongues  and  wrought  miracles  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  yet  it 
would  be  very  improper  to  imagine  that  Christ  needed  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  enable  him  to  cast  out  devils  or  to  work 
miracles.  It  was  by  his  own  essentia!  power  as  the  second 
person  in  theTrinity,  and  as  the  Son  of  man  or  Mediator; 
it  was  by  the  power  delegated  to  him  b\-  the  Father  that 
he  cast  out  devils.  (John  5.  21,  27.)  When  Christ  said, 
"  if  I  by  the  Spirit  of  God  cast  out  devils,"  or  by  the 
finger  of  God,  as  St.  Luke  says,  he  means  by  the  power 
of  his  godhead.  For  ihc  sense  is  plainly  this:  but  if  you 
would  admit  that  I  prove  myself  to  be  a  divine  person, 
possessed  of  the  power  of  God  in  castinf;-  out  devils,  you 
would  know  that  I  am  the  true  Messiah  who  am  come 
unto  vou,  with  divine  authority  to  give  you  salvation; 
but  when  you,  rather  than  judge  so  rationally,  impute  my 

4K 


626 

miracles  to  diabolical  intrio;ue,  and  admit  the  absurd  idea 
of  Satan  rising  up  a^inst  himself,  you  demonstrate  your 
incorrigible  obstinacy  against  me;  which  if  persisted  in, 
under  the  dispensation,  shortly  to  come,  under  the  in- 
fluences of  the  gospel  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  I  will 
shortly  send  down,  as  the  last  effort  of  divine  grace,  you 
will  throw  yourselves  out  of  the  possibility  of  salvation  on 
the  gospel  plan;  and  your  sin  can  never  be  forgiven  you, 
neither  in  this  world  nor  that  which  is  to  come.  This  sense 
is  easy  and  plain,  and  agrees  with  facts.  But  the  idea  of 
the  seconcl  parson  casting  out  devils  by  the  third,  is  not 
easy,  nor  yet  agreeable  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ's  divinity. 
The  true  notion  of  the  unpardonable  sin  I  humbly 
conceive  to  be,  to  resist  the  last  effort  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  on  the  soul,  persuading  the  sinner  to  believe  in 
Christ.  What  these  motions  of  the  Spirit  are,  I  cannot 
tell.  But  it  is  plain  from  scripture  that  the  Spirit  does 
strive  with  man;  and  that  he  will  not  always  strive.  How 
often  he  will  strive  with  this  man,  and  how  often  with 
that,  we  cannot  tell;  but  God  knows  perfectly  well. 
While  the  Spirit  is  striving,  the  sinner  feels  himself 
moved  by  something,  he  cannot  tell  how,  but  he  is  urged 
toward  religion;  he  is  alarmed,  becomes  thoughtful,  se- 
rious and  in  earnest  about  his  soul.  But  he  resists.  The 
Spirit  withdraws  and  he  becomes  careless  again,  and  per- 
haps worse  than  ever.  The  sinner  perhaps  flees  to  amuse- 
ments, to  frolics,  to  card  tables,  or  drinking  clubs,  to  divert 
his  mind;  or  perhaps  he  misconstrues  the  doctrines  of 
the  bible  to  give  ease  to  his  conscience,  or  may  be  betakes 
himself  to  some  self-righteous  plan,  and  fixes  on  false 
ground.  No  matter  how  these  things  may  be;  the  effect 
is,  the  Spirit  is  grieved,  and  the  sinner  returns  to  his  care- 
lessness again.  The  Spirit  visits  him  again  and  again,  and 
again;  the  sinner  still  resists  his  motions,  until  the  last  time 
comes,  like  the  Jews  in  the  days  of  pentecost.^  (O!  the  aw- 
ful crisis! )  He  moves  upon  the  heart  of  the  sinner!  he  is 


627 

now  for  the  last  time  in  the  purpose  of  God  made  serious. 
But  ahis!  the  wicked  heart  wards  oH'  the  conviction!  re- 
jects  the  offers  of  the  gospel  I  The  Spirit  bids  adieu!  and 
the  sinner  is  gone  for  everj 

This  is  the  unpardonable  sin,  whidi  seals  up  the  sin- 
ner and  throws  him  out  of  the  gospel  method  of  salva- 
tion; he  consequently  will  for  ever  remain  without  faith, 
never  can  be  interested  in  Christ,  and  so  can  never  have 
forgiveness,  neither  here  nor  hereafter,  fie  consequently 
must  for  ever  be  under  the  curse  of  the  law,  as  an  unpar- 
doned rebel,  unrenewed,  unsanctified,  and  under  all  the 
dreadful  consequences  of  spiritual  death;  the  holy  Spirit 
having  left  him  never  to  return!  O  wretched  state  of 
moral  darkness  and  death!  and  all  in  consequence  of  re- 
jecting the  last  motions  of  the  Holy  Ghost! 

There  is  not  a  divine  upon  earth  but  must  acknowledge 
that  this,  at  any  rate,  is  and  must  be  an  unpardonable  sin. 
I  never  read  of  but  one;  this  is  one,  that  is  committed  in" 
every  soul  under  the  gospel,  who  dies  in  unbelief.  If 
there  is  another,  there  must  be  two.  But  there  is  but  one. 
This  is  one.  Therefore  it  is  the  unpanlonahle  sin;  even 
the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Sinners  take  care.  This  is  the  sin  our  Saviour  warned 
the  Jews  of.  This  is  the  sin  Stephen  says  they  committed. 
(Acts  7.  51.)  Peter  implies  the  same.  (Acts  5.  29 — 53.) 
Paul  and  Barnabas  give  us  the  same  idea.  (Acts  13.  44 — 
46.)  This  is  the  sin  every  sinner  under  the  gospel  com- 
mits, who  dies  in  unbeliff,  notwithstanding  all  the  calls 
and  warnings  he  gets,  and  all  the  motions  of  the  Spirit 
on  his  soul.  And  he  who  rejects  the  last  motion  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  hath  never  forgiveness,  but  dies  under  the 
curse  and  is  lost  for  ever. 

Sinners,  never  allow  yourselves  to  imagine  that  you 
cannot  commit  this  awful  sin.  You  are  in  danger  of  it 
every  time  you  feci  yourselves  impressed  about  the  con- 
cerns of  your  souls.  You  know  not  but  it  is  the  last  time 


628 

the  Lord  will  impress  your  hearts;  if  it  is,  and  if  you  re- 
ject the  divine  influences,  divines  may  tell  you  what  they 
please,  and  you  perhaps  may  believe  them;  but  you  will 
find  to  your  eternal  sorrow  that  to  harden  your  hearts 
against  the  motions  of  God's  Spirit,  and  thus  to  provoke 
him  finally  to  depart  from  you,  is  this  very  sin  in  all  its 
dismal  consequences.  You  may  be  horrible  sinners,  it  is 
true,  in  thousands  of  other  ways;  you  may  even  like  deists 
blaspheme  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  curse  the  God  who 
made  you,  and  thus  treasure  up  to  yourselves  wrath 
against  tlie  day  of  wrath;  yet  if  you  will  believe  on  Christ 
he  will  pardon  you  and  sanctify  you:  many  such  sinners 
have  been  pardoned  by  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ.  But 
if  you  refuse  to  hear  the  last  call  of  the  Spirit  on  your 
hearts,  you  never  will  believe  on  Christ;  God  will  never 
draw  you  to  him;  and  you  must  die  in  your  sins.  You 
should  never  consider  yourselves  safe,  or  out  of  danger 
of  this  sin,  until  you  give  up  your  hearts  to  Christ,  and 
become  interested  in  him  by  faith. 

In  the  last  place.  May  God  bless  his  word.  May  sin- 
ners be  persuaded  to  believe  in  Christ;  and  may  believers 
be  persuaded  to  put  their  trust  in  him.  May  God  be  glo- 
rified.  May  my  dear  reader  be  made  a  partaker  of  the 
rich  blessings  of  the  gospel.  And  may  we  all  come  to 
know  and  understand  more  and  more  of  the  unsearch 
able  riches  of  Christ. 


Date  Due 

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